


Who wants to fight forever?

by Bartkartoffeln



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: A new evil - Freeform, Action/Adventure, Blood, Fantasy, Journey, M/M, Romance, fight, injuries, reunited
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-04-27 18:05:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 49,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5058562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bartkartoffeln/pseuds/Bartkartoffeln
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Countless times have the hero and the demon lord battled each other. But this time, the villain at hand loses interest in the never ending struggle. He decides to leave the battlefield, even though he could win easily. Ganondorf and Link part ways peacefully, only to meet again under quite different circumstances. Will a new threat unite them?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The vow

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. The characters belong to Nintendo, as do parts of the locations within the story.
> 
> Hello dear reader(s),  
> I hope, you're going to like this story. It's meant to be entertaining, slightly erotic and exciting. My plan is to make this a real story, with plot, character development, new locations and all. I really hope I can fulfill my own expectations.
> 
> I gladly take any comments, but please be gentle and don't be rude. I also like to hear what hasn't been to your liking, but I won't consider flaming.  
> Now have a lot of fun!

Link could barely lift his sword anymore, but he never let Ganondorf out of his sight. He was already pretty beaten up. The red-haired demon lord had taken several blows himself, but unlike Link he seemed almost in a good mood. His malicious smile was provoking and contained. Link hadn't been a fighter for long, after all, and even the countless battles against a variety of enemies hadn't been able to prepare him for the brutal force behind the Gerudo's attacks. His advantage was his swiftness, but the other man's experience always gave him a hint where Link wanted to strike next, wanted to move next, wanted to jump next. The hero stuck his mighty Master Sword into the ground – he knew how desperate and dangerous such a move was – pressing a hand against a gash at his lower left side. His shield had been blown away by the last strike.

Ganondorf just stood there, waiting. As if this wasn't the perfect opportunity to end this. Why wouldn't he? One last, final blow, and they were both done, darkness engulfing the land. Everything the demon lord had always ever wanted and aimed for. Or maybe he just enjoyed seeing him losing his balance while he tried to suppress the pain that shot through his sword arm during every movement. Did the Gerudo want to prolong this pleasure of crushing the Hero of Time? Probably. Now he even mimicked Link and stuck his heavy dark sword into the ground, too, leaning one elbow onto the end of the grip. He pretended to inspect his fingernails, pure arrogance drifting in waves from this gesture. Link gritted his teeth, his jaw muscles flexing. Ganondorf smiled. And finally, he spoke. "We both know I could finish you now. I broke your sword arm." He taunted in his dark, heavy voice that had a slight accent of the desert people. 

"So, why don't you?" Link asked more calm than he should be.

"Because it bores me to death." The demon lord was serious now, and even a bit dry. "I've done this for centuries with you. And just because YOU don't remember that doesn't mean I don't. Yes, I remember well all of our little struggles. The battles that start anew every circle of fate.."

"But today you'll win. Isn't that worth anything?" The hero asked, clearly irritated.

"Oh, I've won countless times, believe me. This is not the first one. Yet, it has never been mentioned in history books, except for two times. The victory of light always was much more appealing to the historians." Ganondorf replied with a disapproving wave of his hand.  
Brows over sky-blue eyes were lifted. Countless times? The former incarnations of the hero in green had lost countless times against Ganondorf? Regarding his own battered constitution, Link couldn't help but believe the man. The Gerudo WAS strong, and a formidable fighter. But it raised the question, how often exactly a fight like this one might have happened in the past. How many times did they cross blades, the King of Demons and the Hero clad in green? Link had no answer to that.

Now, the demon lord wound his fingers around the grip of the huge, black sword of his and lifted it seemingly without effort. The razor sharp tip pointed directly at Links heart. They had long stopped circling each other, and the wind tugged at their clothes down here in the castle gardens. The hero remembered how he had entered the place just about half an hour ago, facing his enemy. Ganondorf had sat in a wide, decadent chair with dark red clothing, reading some book. Zelda had been nowhere around, and even now Link wondered where the demon lord might have hidden her. 

On the other hand, did it matter anymore? He was going to lose, which meant his certain death. From the gash in his lower left, the blood was soaking the green cloth, the blood loss making him feel dizzy. So he didn't even back down as the red-haired man drew closer and laid the point of his sword into the hollow beneath his throat. Link stood his ground solemnly. Why deny his fate? The other man looked at him earnestly. "She lies in her bedchambers, deep asleep." Ganondorf said as if he had read Link's mind just a few seconds ago. 

The hero swallowed. His good hand came up fast, the iron back of his gloves colliding with the black blade and pushing it fiercely away while stepping back, as if the words of Ganondorf had created another spark of fighting spirit in him. He even gripped his sword again and took a more solid stance. "What about it?" He shot back, angrily. "As if I still could make it there. Or do you intend to yield? I don't suppose so." While he didn't want to lose nor give up, he was realistic enough to admit his defeat. It was not complete yet, but soon it would be. So why couldn't Ganondorf stop teasing him and be serious about all this? Instead, he saw the demon lord smile like a shark, showing white teeth. His eyes were glowing with evil amusement.

"Since I am clearly at an advantage here, I will tell you what to do. You are going to stick your sweet sword here into its scabbard, fetch your Hylian shield and go to the princess. You will take your time with that, and before you even think about coming back here, I will be gone for good. No more fighting, no more hate, suffering or darkness for Hyrule or any other land. You and your princess can rebuild everything and live happily ever after." Link's eyes widened. Ganondorf sounded dead serious, and as if he wanted to prove his intentions, he threw away his sword. 

"You really want to yield." Was the perplexed statement of the hero, and Ganondorf chuckled darkly. 

"Sometimes it's fun to be the villain. Trying to take over Hyrule and becoming the powerful tyrant. It's fun seeing you struggle, sending my minions on their way to stop or even kill you. But most of the time it has become a boring routine. So you live, you save the day, and get the princess. And I live, I can ride somewhere quiet and peaceful, not bothering you or anyone anymore. I thought about opening an inn. Or maybe farming potatoes and pumpkins."

"Don't mock me!" Link growled. "If you wanted to live a peaceful life, why did you even choose the path of evil?" He asked angry and confused at the same time. The answer was simple. 

"It was fun to make you do your heroic thing. Roaming through caves, castles, hideouts of monsters, finding pretty fairies and sacred artifacts to be able to defeat me. That's always quite entertaining. If I weren't your enemy, I probably would be a great fan of yours." Ganondorf smiled viciously and seemed pretty content with the whole situation. "So, if you will excuse me? An actual life is waiting for me."

"Wait! Swear it. Let's both swear on our piece of the Triforce and by its power. So I can be assured you won't change your mind and come at us again." Link demanded. He still felt he was being kidded. He wasn't entirely sure if the demon lord wasn't just bluffing for his own fun. But if there was a way out of this where everyone was alive and quit fighting, he was willing to try. When he reflected on Ganondorf's deeds, he couldn't find anything that made the Gerudo deserve death. The man hadn't slaughtered or killed people needlessly. His minions had crushed a few houses and roofs, there had been a lot of darkness and fires and terror, prisoners, deaths even. But no slaughtering. Hadn't Ganondorf only harmed those who had dared to fight him openly? And as far as he knew, prisoners obviously hadn't been treated badly. The hero decided for himself that he could let the villain get away - as long as there was some secure promise nothing bad would emanate. As long as true peace followed.

He held out his Triforce hand, looking directly into Ganondorf's eyes. The demon lord had turned to him again and smiled, surprised. "Interesting. There is a tactician in you, after all."

Slowly, the huge man came back. "Fine, let's swear by the holy power of the Triforce." He felt Link's hand twitch as he clasped it with his own and that made him smile. "You speak. I repeat." He proposed generously, and Link's stare was hard. As he began to speak, the golden Triangle at the back of his hand began to glow. "I hereby swear to lay down my sword as long as my destined enemy lays down his. I swear to let him live in peace. I swear to not threaten him or his loved ones. Should I break this vow, my enemy shall have the right to pick up the sword against me once again." Ganondorf repeated every single word in a nearly bored matter, but the glow of his own Triangle was proof, that he meant it. And then, it was done. The golden glow of the Triforce faded.

"Finally." The demon lord sighed in relief. As Link retracted his fingers from their clasping hands, Ganondorf caught his wrist. Link moaned as a sharp pain shot through the broken arm. Freezing instantaneously, he was pulled harshly against the other man. He wanted to struggle, but the pain was too hard to bear. Yet, Ganondorf couldn't do anything, could he? He had sworn! Link shut his eyes, breathing through his teeth, trying to ignore the agony. But suddenly, the ache was gone, and so ceased the nausea that had begun to accumulate in his stomach. Confused, Link tried to lift his head and look up to Ganondorf. The Gerudo was smiling like a black cat that had finally caught its favorite prey. "I have more magic abilities than you know. Destroying is not everything I can do." The giant whispered. 

"Let go. I am no longer willing to play your games, Ganondorf. Zelda awaits. If I recall, you have plans, haven't you?" The hero replied breathlessly, now bringing his free arm between them and trying to push the red-haired away. 

"I'll be gone soon enough. Don't worry." The bigger man took Links chin and kissed him then. Just like that, as if it were something he was eager to try, out of plain curiosity. Link didn't feel a thing about it and gave up the struggling, letting the man have his way. Close up, Ganondorf was far to strong and it wasn't likely he could break free, even less so with a broken arm (it took him a moment to realize, his arm wasn't broken anymore). But it was frightening, how fast an enemy could become a mere annoyance, how fast the eager strife for justice and heroism could become meaningless, turning to.. normality.

Though he still felt a certain threat emanating from the huge demon lord, Link no longer believed him his enemy. And sure enough, Ganondorf let go of him, licking his lips. He didn't even comment on his actions. "Farewell, hero. Maybe you will come visit me in my inn?"

"I don't think we will ever meet again in this life." Link replied, tired.

"We will." Ganondorf sounded dead sure about that. "Our lives and destiny are far too intertwined. Sooner or later, something will lead you to me - or the other way round. Until then, stay alive." And that was it. The man turned and with no haste strolled through the garden that had been devastated during their fight. With a short, high whistle blow, he called his black horse, mounted and rode away. That was the moment when the light of the sun broke through the dim, yellow mist that had engulfed Hyrule. The people who couldn't even fathom what had happened, were now free of the shadows. Link turned to the castle entrance and started walking. What should he tell the people? That he had killed Ganondorf? No. That would be a lie. That he had let him go? That would probably cause panic. So he decided to pick the version that was closest to truth: He had defeated the demon lord. And while he was already forming the sentences to tell the story of the hero and the villain, he had a feeling Ganondorf was right. They would meet again.


	2. Canyon ride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven years after the vow, Link sets out on a journey on his own. He has fulfilled his duty to Hyrule and wishes to discover new countries. With his loyal horse Epona he travels through a canyon to get to his first destination: Praelar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda, nor any of the characters
> 
> I want to thank PaladinDragon, who is supporting me by betaing my story and doing a great job! Thanks a lot, Pala!

Seven years later  
Epona snorted tiredly, and Link softly patted her neck. They had been riding all day now, so even the strongest horse would be exhausted, especially with the weight on her back. The former hero slid from her back and fed her a carrot from his pocket. With the back of his left hand, he swept his forehead to wipe away the trickling sweat. Both had left Hyrule to travel the surrounding lands. After Ganondorf's departure, the hero had helped to form the land, supporting people in need, going on diplomatic missions and serving as Princess Zelda's right hand, missionary and head of guard. It had been good years. He had seen his friends regularly, despite his many tasks. His defeat had made him eager to learn real swordsmanship, and by now Link wasn't only a formidable, high-skilled fighter, but also knew how to use a variety of weapons. He had tried the weaponless fight, too, but had never taken to it.

As peace continued, he had decided to leave court and explore the countries beyond the Hylian borders. Somehow, he felt driven, as if he had to find something. So he had packed his few important belongings. His Princess had claimed back the Master Sword, that was supposed to stay in Hyrule. Now he owned a new, fine sword without magical abilities. It was of highest craftsmanship, worth thousands of rupees, because Zelda had wanted to make sure he had the best weapon with him she could grant, except the Master Sword. It was, however, not the only weapon he had. There was also the heavy, huge sword with the black blade. He never had it destroyed, nor reforged or buried. On a whim, he had kept it. And now he dragged it along on his journey, as if he'd some special attachment to the thing. Maybe it was to remind him of the vow he and Ganondorf had taken together. Maybe somewhere deep down he also had a feeling that the last words of the Gerudo might come true soon. Where might the man have gone? And had he really followed that ridiculously normal idea of opening an inn or buying a farm? That still seemed hard to believe. Even though the former villain had retreated and declared he would lead a normal life, Link couldn't imagine the dark sorcerer raising pigs or cows, or cooking for guests.

A soft whinny shook Link out of his musings. "After this canyon, we arrive at the border of Praelar. There should be an inn where we can rest. It's just a little longer, Epona," Link said and smoothed his cheek against Epona's big jaw. The horse snorted contently, willing to follow him everywhere. The Hylian led Epona through the canyon. High walls of deformed sandstone built a maze with myriads of tunnels and paths one could choose from. The right way however was marked with slate-coloured, flat stones flanking the path, so that wanderers might not loose their way. There were no torches at night, so when the sun set, most riders or folk around would search one of the small caves in the dry stone to rest until morning. During daytime, the high walls made the deeps of the canyon comfortably cool, which was especially good during the summer season. Only the two hours around noon the sun fell directly to the bottom of the canyon.

Link would have loved to wander the beautiful scenery, if it hadn't been the perfect setup for bandits to swoop the paths, rob innocent people or caravans and then vanish again into the stone maze. Feeling uneasy, he let his eyes wander cautiously, gripping his sword tighter. Sometimes, Epona neighed at the tension of her master.

When they turned around the next curve, the way before them was torn up and big stones blocked the path. They must have fallen just a short time ago, the air still dusty from the impact of rock on rock. Looking up it was clear that this hadn't been a natural rock slide. Nothing was missing from the upper edge of the canyon. So someone might have helped the cause a little bit, which made the hero even warier. "I guess we don't have a choice but to leave the main path."

Epona shook her head nervously. "I know. But what else shall we do? There are no Gorons here to help us out of this misery," Link replied, understanding perfectly well what his horse meant. And he wasn't quite happy either to walk into an obvious trap. All his training and sword experience might be for nothing if the enemy didn't face him directly. Or if he was outnumbered which was probably the case.

"Come. It's getting dark soon and we have to find our way back to the main road," the fighter mumbled. To have an advantage, he mounted Epona again, knowing this could improve his chances. Out of one of the smaller saddle bags he took an apple, smashed it softly against the canyon wall, then sent it flying over the rock barrier. Maybe Epona could smell the scent of apple and find a quick way around the obstacle. Softly patting her on the neck, Link let her walk through another naturally grown stone arch into the next ravine and away from the blocked road. They proceeded at slow pace and the hero had drawn his new, shiny blade, gripping it tightly.

It was a shame, that he wasn't in his green clothes. The Hero's garment might have scared off possible raiders. His reputation had grown, after all, and as the Hero, he was known beyond the borders of Hyrule. But he had left his official clothes back in Hyrule, together with the Master Sword. Now he wore simple, sand-coloured trousers that stuck in his dark leather boots and a dark brown tight-woven linen shirt that had collected lots of dirt and dust on them from days and days of travelling. Over the dark brown cloth, a light chain mail shirt glistened softly in the few sun rays that had found their way down to him.

The attack happened a few corners later. Link had just got the feeling they would reach the main road without further trouble when five cloaked figures jumped him. Two came from above and made Epona prance. Link pushed one of them against the stone to his right side and the head of the hooded man gave off a cracking sound before he fell down unconscious. Link fiercely hacked after one who tried to shove his fingers into the saddle bags, while Epona did her best to throw her hooves in the faces of the two bandits that wanted to grab her reigns. Somehow, Link managed to stay on Epona's back, throwing off the man who had landed behind him in the saddle. The dagger of his opponent was a far better short distance weapon than the hero's sword, so he had planted his fist into the hidden face and the other one tumbled off the horse. Just as the fifth of them was trying to cut through the cinches, Link bashed the flat side of his sword against the bandit's head. One of his comrades fell down, struck by Epona's fore hooves. It seemed the hero could win this fight.

Just as he lifted his sword to drive off the last bandit, the rushing sound of a flying arrow rang in his ears. It hit him full in the shoulder. Another one followed and got his left thigh. Link was nearly knocked from Epona, so hard was the impact, and he uttered a painful moan through gritted teeth. Epona pranced again, neighing angrily. The last bandit slashed at her, obviously trying once more to cut through the cinches but hitting Epona's flank instead. She reared. Hastily, Link grabbed the reigns which he had dropped during the fighting. The next arrow flew. It smashed into the stone right next to Epona's head and made her jump. In a burst of adrenaline, she leaped forward, fleeing through the canyon.

"Epona, NO!" Link screamed. She didn't listen and took a sharp right turn through another stone arch that was far too low for an upright sitting rider. The hero wasn't even able to react. His head smashed against the stone, making him fall from his horse. Link's feet slipped out of the stirrups, but his left arm was tangled in the reigns. The sudden weight dragging at her head made Epona neigh in panic. She thrashed around, nearly trampling Link beneath her hooves. The arrows that stuck in Links body broke off as he was dragged over hard and stony ground. His horse leaped through another passage and found the main road again. The hero had already lost consciousness from the hard ride. Pain had seeped through his body from the wounds he had taken in the short fight and from being thrashed against ground and walls. His thigh bled heavily from the arrow wound, his left arm was dislocated. Not to mention his head, that had taken a few hard hits also. The violent ride had bruised a few ribs and scraped the skin where the ground had torn open his trousers. Epona finally slowed down, shaking, lowering her head to smooth her muzzle against Links blood covered face. The hero, however, stayed motionless, his mind captured by sweet darkness.


	3. Old acquaintance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Link awakes he finds himself in a cozy bed. The canyon battle left him quite battered, but someone tended to him. Now he wonders where he is, and he is surprised to find out who exactly saved him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Link and Ganondorf. Both belong to Nintendo.
> 
> I am back with a new chapter! Read and enjoy. :)  
> Big thanks to PaladinDragon, who is doing great betaing on my story.

As he came to, someone was trying to free his dislocated arm from Epona's reigns, sending waves of harsh pain up into his shoulder. Link was dimly aware of the whimper that left his throat and his head hurt like hell. His sight wasn't the best either, he could barely open his eyes, which were sticky from half dried blood and the canyon's dust.

Automatically he reached for his sword that he had lost during Epona's frenzy. "You don't need it now," a deep, amused voice told him. "I'd rather recommend a healer for you. You look awful." Link's arm came free and fell heavily down from it's lifted position. The hero tried to focus, but the world seemed to rotate, with him in the center. Epona wasn't afraid of the huge man, so part of him guessed he must be out of danger for the moment. Gods, he hurt. Blinking, Link tried to push himself up. He could smell fresh blood and was wondering where it came from, when a strong, thick arm wrapped around his waist, supporting him, helping him get to his feet, and there the stranger was the only thing that held him standing. The chain mail had stopped the first arrow from burrowing too deep into his flesh at the shoulder, but his thigh bled heavily and he could barely put his weight onto that leg. 

"Come on. It's just a few hundred meters to the next inn. I can patch you up there." The dark voice resonated in Links ears, ringing a bell, but he was awfully wounded and it was too dim to make out the features of the stranger's face without effort. The sun had nearly sunk beneath the horizon, so he must have been out for at least an hour. Fortunately the bandits hadn't have the guts to come after him once more. Maybe because Epona got them so close to the border.  
"Thanks," Link mumbled finally, leaning heavily onto the man's arm. The stranger didn't seem to mind at all.  
"Maybe you should sit on your horse. I doubt you can walk the way," he proposed, but Link shook his head very slowly. "No. She's hurt, too."

"She's fine, has but a scratch," the stranger with the dark voice sighed. "Fine. We'll make it somehow." With a low grunt, he started walking and Link gave his best to do the same, not relying too much on the others strength. Epona followed by herself, nuzzling him from time to time in the back as if to encourage him. What a pitiful sight he must be! The once known hero of Hyrule had been defeated by a mere bunch of bandits. Then again, he never had been a real hero, had he? He hadn't defeated Ganondorf…

As they arrived at the inn, Link nearly fainted from relief. He hadn't spoken a word and didn't now, but he was very thankful. A young guy stepped out of a stable beside the inn. He drew closer. "Master!" He called out in surprise. "I thought you had lost your way." The young man couldn't have been much more than seventeen summers. His skin was tanned bronze, dark eyes beneath a wild handful of brown hair took in the sight of the three of them.  
"I told you not to call me that, Rabo," she stranger said a bit grumpily. "Here. Be good to the horse, will you? I'm going to patch up this lad here." 

Rabo let out a whistle. "Yeah. He's going to need it, hm? You must have had some rough journey."  
Link didn't answer. The master chuckled. "Come on in. I've got some nice medicine and bandages, cold stew and fresh bread." He shoved Link into the direction of the inn door.

"What about his saddlebags and all that stuff? Looks heavy," Rabo murmured, making his master sigh.  
"Just carry it into a chamber and make sure to lock the door properly," was the reply.  
"But.. there's a huge.. something. Quite an odd thing, that." The voice of the younger man had turned low, curiosity wafting from it. "It's a sword," Link said tiredly. "He can talk?" Rabo seemed surprised.

"Enough now! Do what I told you," the huge man said gruffly, and now he really made it inside the inn. Guests were sitting at tables. Some of them shouted teasing comments about what the inn keeper had found again in the canyon. Obviously, it wasn't the first time the man dragged someone or something along. A few more words were directed to them but they didn't reach Link. Somehow his hearing and sight grew worse by the second and he was unable to keep himself up anymore. The man at his side reacted and his hold around Link's waist became stronger. The hero winced at the pain this caused him, his broken ribs burning. 

The chitchatting and joking fell silent as the men and women in the room recognized his dire constitution. The inn keeper said something, the hero couldn't understand what. In his ears, everyone was whispering and mumbling, the words like drowning leaves in a windblown lake. Or was he the one drowning? Suddenly, he lost the ground beneath his feet. The world turned and became lopsided as he dangled in the arms of the inn keeper, who had lifted him to carry him away. As his head fell back, his whole body becoming limp, he stared for a few seconds in the face of his saviour that was now lit by the fires and lamps of the inn. Dark brown skin was accentuated by amber hair, and deep set golden eyes brimmed with amusement and a dark but momentarily tamed fire. Link wanted to speak. He wanted to say something, anything, but instead he closed his eyes. Suddenly he felt dizzier than ever before, and at least as tired. "Rest," was the command uttered by the huge man. The hero fell into an endless abyss of sweet, numbing darkness.

Next time he woke, there was sun dancing through a window. The golden light shone down on dust playfully whirling through the air, touching the floor and brightening the room. It took Link a few moments to adjust to the light, his head ached like some smith had hammered it nice and steady. Also his memory wasn't quite flawless. He could remember his fight in the canyon, parts of the hard ride... someone picking him up. But aside from that several things were missing. How he'd come here. Where exactly he was. Why he was in a soft bed and naked. Wait, he was naked? 

Cautiously, Link gripped the soft sheets above his body and lifted them a bit. He wore nothing but white cloth that had been wrapped around his wounds. Nearly his whole torso was bandaged, and as he touched his head, so was it. Only a few strands of his hair had escaped the linen cloth, which gave him a rather ruffled look. His face had been washed, and probably his body, too. His shoulder still felt sore, but that was nothing compared to the pain in his chest. Every single breath was like a mixture of fire and smoke in his lungs, his throat felt dry yet sticky. 

On a table beside him, there were fruits and fresh water and a cup. Some bread with a bit of cheese and slim slices of what seemed to be meat. He only cared for the water and desperately tried to sit up without putting too much strain on his body. Link's feet slowly slid from the bed and touched the sun-warmed floor. It hurt, though, especially in his chest and thigh and the pounding in his head made him see things double. He must have got hit pretty hard. Breathing as steady as possible he reached with his healthy arm for the carafe of water, pouring some of it into a cup. Gods, he felt so awfully thirsty, and what a relief it was to feel the clear and sweet fluid rinsing his throat clean. Link was careful to not drink too fast. From experience he knew that after what he'd put his body through, it wouldn't turn out well to flood his stomach too rapidly.

When he put down the cup, his hand shook. The hero felt feverish. His trained body was feeble and it would have been a good idea to lie down again. Yet he slowly stood up. Someone had brought all his belongings into his room. His saddlebags, his travelling tunic, his clothes freshly washed and the sleeping roll, all was tenderly put onto an old chaise lounge at the far side of the room. Even the thickly wrapped, huge sword. Link took one step forward, his bad leg protesting. Sunlight caught him as he passed the window.

Someone knocked, but left no time to answer. Obviously the intruder didn't think the temporary owner of the room was awake. Link turned to greet whomever would enter, just to face a very surprised Ganondorf. Standing in golden light, buck-ass naked, his well-trained muscles accented by the bandages, he must be a sight to enjoy. At least Ganondorf took himself a few seconds to let his eyes wander over the slender, athletic hero, who didn't seem to care about his nakedness. Finally, his old enemy stepped in and closed the door. 

"Well, you are awake. But you should lie down again. I patched you up and your head and ribs really are nothing to walk around with, you know?" Links blue eyes gazed up to the huge man.  
"I brought your sword," he said, completely out of context.

"So I saw. Now lay down." Ganondorf brought his hand forward to lead Link back to bed by his shoulder. The hero flinched slightly, before he gave in and wrapped himself into the sheets again. Some instinct of him wanted to fight. Flee. Grab his clothes and run. But Ganondorf had picked him up, washed him, tended to him. Ungratefulness was the least the man deserved now.

"Your head has been damaged quite a bit. It will take a few days before you can think straight, I guess. The rest isn't nice, but will heal in due time, too. You hungry?" The Gerudo asked and Link nodded. An arm slipped behind his back and gently pushed him into a more upright position, while shoving another pillow behind him. He wasn't sitting nor lying, but it was enough to take the ache out of his chest and to be able to eat. A tray was set on his legs. "Is Epona here?" The hero wanted to know, meeting the golden eyes of the inn keeper with his own. 

"She is well treated, relax. Rabo is good with animals, and she likes him." Ganondorf's smile was sincere, but there was always this taste of darkness to him. Not a vicious, cruel darkness anymore, more like the soft, heavy darkness of summer nights. "You surprise me, hero. I would have imagined you'd fight against me... or deny my help. Jump on your horse and leave immediately. At least any other reaction than sitting down at my command and eating the food I made you." The man sounded curious. Link took his time to chew down the bread thoroughly before answering. 

"You're not my enemy anymore. You helped me, saved me even. If it weren't for you, I'd lie there still, probably robbed by now and bled out."  
"You have grown up more. Not only your body," the Gerudo stated and rubbed his chin, smiling. He hadn't aged a day, it seemed. At the contrary, the good mood had bestowed the man with sympathetic wrinkles in the corners of his mouth. "It was fun treating you. Seeing the great hero helpless and naked was a reward in it's own." Now his grin became dirty. Link lifted an eyebrow, his stern face not betraying any kind of emotion, be it anger, interest or disgust. No, he bit down some more bread, some cheese, ate a slice of meat and finished off an apple without reacting to the man's blabber. His dizziness seemed to fade a bit while the Gerudo sat beside him, and Link guessed it had to do with the healing abilities of the man. Or didn't Ganondorf have them anymore? No.. the man was still a powerful spell caster.

"You are still no fun these days." Ganondorf sighed finally after some tries to get some emotion out of Link. Now the hero smiled slightly.  
"I'm not into men. You waste your potential," was the blunt response to the Gerudo's earlier sexual innuendo. The rest he hadn't even been listening to. His head was still a mess and Link was glad that his stomach seemed to let him keep his small but fine meal. 

"We will see about that," Ganondorf replied, and his left hand touched Link's forehead. The hero's eyes searched for some dark intentions in the golden depths of the Gerudo's own gaze. While the man spoke somewhat clearly about his plans regarding Link, his face didn't betray anything evil now. Instead, he almost seemed to be concerned. "You have a fever, Link," was the prompt diagnosis. "You better lay down and get some more sleep," the inn keeper suggested. His thumb caressed one of the cheekbones of the Hyrulian, brushing off an eyelash from the skin. Link's hand came up and gripped Ganondorf's wrist, pulling it softly away from his face. 

"I will," he said. The hero's voice sounded tired already, and even the tiniest bit amused. How could someone be huge, menacing and dark, yet soft, playful and like a big boy at the same time? The former demon lord left this impression, and that made Link smile. Things were honestly messed up from years before.  
Yet everything felt awkwardly right.  
"Well then... gonna leave you now. The inn is closed for today, only overnight guests can enter. Rabo and I are going to do some bargaining at the next market. I'll fetch you fresh food and water later. We'll be back at nightfall. Don't do anything.. well.. heroic 'til then." The man grinned.  
"You better not leave the bed, Link. Don't worry though, you'll have everything you need, and other guests won't bother you. Epona is being cared for as well." The Gerudo rose from the bed.  
Link grew dizzier by the second now. "Don't you fear being robbed when you're gone?" He murmured and heard Ganondorf laugh heartily. 

"Please, hero! I have abilities, you know? I might've gotten rusty, but a few magic tricks are still up my sleeve. No one will enter without my permission." The huge man leveled his eyes with the hero's. "And especially not this room," he added, smiling. "So, as long as you stay in here, you're as safe as you can be for the time being." The Gerudo waved, turned, and slipped right out of the door.

A strange feeling overcame Link then. He decided that he liked the new Ganondorf, at least as far as one could call it liking. The emotions that built a knot in his stomach were yet to explore. There was liking, yes, but also caution and mistrust. Thankfulness and relaxation, mixed with a certain eagerness to run away. The one who made the final decision what to do was, however, Link's body. It felt leaden, heavy and tired. So the hero closed his eyes and gave himself back to sweet darkness.

He woke again around the third afternoon hour. Like the first time, Link felt terribly thirsty, so he sat up and poured himself a glass of water. A plate with fresh food had been deposited for him, just as Ganondorf the inn keeper had promised. He took a slice of cold meat and chewed thoughtfully before slipping out of bed. The Hyrulian knew he shouldn't move around too much, but lying in bed all day bored him. His body needed to move as it was used to do. Maybe he could just look after Epona and then go back to bed. Just half an hour. Aching, Link made it to the fresh washed clothes and it took him some effort to get into the wide linen trousers and the slim fitted tunic. Afterwards, he leaned against the desk and waited for the pain to ease. His chest still burned, as did his thigh, but it was his clouded head that concerned him the most. From time to time he couldn't quite focus onto things, and also saw silhouettes double.

Limping, he reached the door and found a cane there. Someone obviously had anticipated he wouldn't stay in bed. Link snorted silently and took the cane to ease the strain of his wounded leg. Very slowly, he shuffled down the stairs on naked feet, until he got to the ground floor. No one was around. Something bubbled in the kitchen, making a soft, comforting noise. It was warm and the air had a nice smell to it. You never would have believed this was the doing of some evil demon king. Everything felt so.. peaceful.

Link took a deep breath and aimed for the door he believed was the main entrance. The knob turned without sound, smoothly, and the door swung open. Outside, there was space for the riders to leave their horses. Poles were driven into the hard ground, so one could bind the reigns around them. To his right, Link found the stables, that were considerably large. And behind the main inn there was a small area were the horses could run free, even though there was only a few dried tufts of grass. However, a small stream provided the horses with water, and a wooden tube was filled with grains.

Link entered the stables, panting. The first one to greet him was the huge, dark stallion of Ganondorf. It snorted as if it recognized Link, and tried to smooth its big muzzle against the hero. The plate on the box read 'Lato', and the hero wondered whether this was a Gerudian word. He padded the black muzzle softly, getting back a content snort, before he was pushed back heavily. Link stumbled and hit a barrel with his back. Lato neighed and shook his head. 

"Ouch," commented the Hyrulian and tried to catch his pain-ragged breath again. As he leaned onto the barrel, his hand touched something smooth and round. "Apples. So, that's what you want, hm?" The hero muttered, and Lato snorted accordingly. Link chuckled and took an apple to present it flat-handed to the dark horse. The tongue tickled his fingers, until all of the apple was gone. "I hope I don't spoil you to much, my friend. Your master wouldn't be pleased, would he?" He smiled and stroked the beautiful horse's neck. Then he grabbed another apple and hobbled on. 

A few milk cows watched him silently, mooing from time to time. Epona waited for him in a box further into the building, and she was delighted to see him. The apple was taken happily, disappearing quickly in her mouth. She had been taken care of very well. Her fur was smooth, so someone had rubbed her accurately, her mane was combed, and the gash at her flank had been administered with a healing paste. "Well... you surely look better than I do." Link stated, stroking Epona softly. She neighed in agreement and came closer, so he hadn't to stretch so far beyond the box door. Link already felt tired again, although his body was in a better condition than hours before. Yawning, he opened the box and slipped right in. 

"Just a short nap, hm? You won't tell anyone." Epona watched him with loyal eyes, yet he had the feeling she would have rather seen him going back to a real bed. That was one of those moments when the Hyrulian felt like she wasn't just some ordinary or even highborn horse. There was more to it, and he wondered, whether the Goddesses had given Epona a reincarnating soul, too. And more wits than a horse probably should have.

The hero leaned the cane against the box wall and lay down in the straw. Epona snorted and settled down with him, so he could snuggle against her like so many nights before. It only took him seconds to drift into a deep sleep, clearly more than a short nap.


	4. Attracted darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nightly visitor disturbs Link's sleep, and it's not the good kind of visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Link and Ganondorf belong to Nintendo!
> 
> Hello, folks!  
> Another chapter is ready to go. Enjoy the read and have fun. Thanks for all the follows and favs, and special thanks to PaladinDragon, who is helping me a great deal by betaing my story. :D

It was Ganondorf's deep voice that woke him. "I should have known you wouldn't keep to your room," he said gruffly, leaning heavily on the box door. He smiled, though. Link opened his eyes dizzily and sighed. How late was it?

"It's nearly nightfall," Ganondorf answered, which was somewhat unnerving.  
"Stop reading my thoughts," Link complained and sat up cautiously.  
"Well, I can't read thoughts. It's just, they are written all over your face sometimes," the bigger man replied grinning. Epona shoved her muzzle into Link's back to make him stand up. "Look, your horse is wise. She wants you to go to bed, too," the demon lord said, and now he was teasing. Yet, Link didn't react grumpily or angrily. Instead, he stroked Epona's head.  
"Yeah. She is very clever. Just like your stallion. He made me give him an apple."  
"Did he?" Ganondorf asked dryly. "I bet he shoved you right against that barrel there and made strange sounds."  
Link laughed. "Yes. Something like that." The sky-blue eyes glistened with amusement, something Ganondorf really liked to watch. He kept that to himself, however, and opened the box door.

"Time to get in. The first guests will arrive soon, and there is still a lot to do in the kitchen," he said and held the door open for Link. The hero grabbed the cane and shuffled out of the box after he had padded the horse's nostrils. She snorted softly and shoved her face into his back to make him leave. "She's a bit bossy, hm?" Ganondorf grinned his most evil-but-not-really-evil grin. Link shrugged.  
"It's just fair, I guess. I'm bossing her around quite a lot, so I can understand she wants at least a little revenge on me." The Hylian smiled and hobbled alongside Ganondorf out of the stables. Rabo led two strong horses into their boxes and tended to them, and Link stopped. "Thank you for treating Epona so well," he said softly. Rabo stared at him. 

"Yeah, well.. I love animals," he replied somewhat lost. It wasn't often that someone thanked him. His master was, after all, a bit of the gruff sort of man, never letting his guard down, never being too soft. Yet he did thank him in other ways. Rabo chewed his lower lip for a moment, looking into the eyes of the Hylian. "She's a strong, beautiful horse. If we mated her with Lato, the young could be a magnificent breed! We could have the world's best horses, become rich and renovate the whole inn! Just imagine them! Every king and all the rich travellers would be honored to even just ride one of our horses. They would pay us richly for each and every one of them," Rabo explained, suddenly coming to live with excitement.  
Link smiled, but he also felt sad. Sad, because he had to destroy that little dream. "I'm afraid, I won't stay long enough for that, Rabo. And I can't leave Epona here." 

Disappointment flooded the youngster's gaze, yet he nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I know that. It's just sometimes.. I get carried away by my dreams," he sighed. Ganondorf didn't comment on the little outburst, nor on Link's plans of probably leaving soon. "I'll tend to the horses now," Rabo murmured and slipped by the two men. Link felt sorry for the younger one, but before he could apologize, Ganondorf wrapped an arm around him and pushed him softly onward. 

"He'll get over it, believe me. And someday he will have his horses. Everything needs its time." The Gerudo probably was right. Link hoped the time for dreams to come true would come fast for Rabo. He liked the young man.  
"I'd really like to see you stay a bit." Ganondorf's deep, desert-flavoured voice got Link's attention back. The Gerudo proceeded. "Your injuries will take a couple weeks to heal fully, and I could use some help around here. I heard you are destined to help all the poor souls in dire need.." The man grinned teasingly. Link snorted.  
"You're everything but a 'poor soul', demon king. A few years of lawful life doesn't exactly make you holy," the young man replied dryly. Ganondorf lifted his brows.  
"True enough. But don't call me demon king around here, that'd be nice. I like my good reputation. And actually, I go by the name Ganon. It's less known so the people don't crouch in fear every time they hear it. Fortunately, only a few here know the old Hylian legends."  
Link nodded. He wasn't here to destroy Ganondorf's peaceful life. They had a deal after all. "That's fine by me."

"So, you're going to stay?" Was the next question, and the former hero sighed. "Come on. Don't tell me you have some great mission, hero. You have the time to idle around... have some fun..." The last words were whispered directly into one of Link's ears. Ganondorf had brought his lips very close to the warm flesh there and he sounded tempting, almost seductive. The arm he had wrapped around the Hylian strengthened its grip and drew the young man closer against his huge body. The cane got him by surprise, as Link pushed its lower end right into Ganondorf's chest. "Ouch." The man backed away and rubbed his upper torso. "You really tax my patience, hero," he growled low-voiced.

Link opened the inn door. "I do? I've been here only a day. You must have some short patience," he commented with one of this polite yet emotionless smiles. As if this wasn't the first attempt to seduce him that he had blocked.  
Ganondorf drew closer. Towering over Link, he leaned in, his lower arm resting against the house wall. The younger one didn't back down, but stood silent and self assured. "A day, you say? I've been waiting for years now. So cut me some slack," the man whispered, a hint of menace in his voice.  
"I told you, I am not into men. It's not my fault you cannot accept this," Link replied.  
Ganondorf ground his teeth. "You let me kiss you when we made our deal!"  
"I was wounded, tired and beaten. It seemed easier to let you have your way than making a fuss about it then," Link explained.  
"Liar. You kissed back." Now the man smiled viciously and Link looked at him in surprise.  
"No, I did not," he stated solemnly.  
"Oh yes. You did. I remember it well." The former demon lord leaned in even closer and took Link's chin into his hand. The hero pushed the big hand away.

"I did not kiss you back," he repeated and shuffled out of the cage the man had built with his body alone, surrounding him like a living wall. For a moment the tension between them spiked, and Link expected the man to use brute force. The golden eyes of the inn keeper sparkled with anger and the need to get what he wanted. However, Ganondorf constrained himself, letting the hero pass and enter the inn again. While Link somehow managed to make it to his room, the demon lord found refuge in his kitchen.

As predicted by Ganondorf, the first customers soon entered the inn. Most of them were town people who enjoyed the good food and the absence of their wives. They played games together, mostly card and dice games. The former demon lord and Rabo served them hot stew from potatoes and pumpkins, fresh, spicy bread and a dark ale. Link however wasn't attracted to all the ruckus and stayed in his room. He felt every bone aching now. The straw in Epona's box hadn't been comfortable enough to support his healing, obviously. And his fever had become stronger, too.

After Link had eaten a few bites of bread with butter and an apple, he laid himself down and buried deeply in the soft cloth of the sheets. Somehow he must have fallen asleep, because the next time he opened his eyes, darkness surrounded him. Only a few single rays of moonlight lit the room, but they were oddly golden tonight. Not the usual, fine silver Link associated with the moon. It took him a few seconds to realize it was his Triforce gleaming faintly. It flickered a bit, as if it wanted to tell him something, yet the hero didn't know what. Was Ganondorf up to no good again? Was it the Triforce's reaction to his body's condition? Puzzled, he stared at the back of his hand and after a while even traced the outlines of the Triforce with his other forefinger. For a second, the golden glow intensified, then vanished. The hero shuddered. He had a bad feeling about this. Link took a deep breath and left the bed. Swiftly, despite his pain and fever, he threw himself in some trousers and his tunic, fetching the far too huge sword of Ganondorf. But the weapon was his only option for the moment.

Breathing heavily, he snuck out of his room, holding the blade with two hands. His wounded leg protested, for now it not only had to support his own but also the additional weight. Sweat prickled on his forehead, trickling down his heated face. Silently, Link pressed his lips together and descended the stairs. It was now he wondered, where Ganondorf might have his own rooms. Maybe on the bottom floor or somewhere else? When the hero arrived downstairs, he had to pause. His bad leg ached enormously, while he shook in fever and weakness. Motionlessly, he stared into the big space before him. The last sparks of the chimney's dying amber cast some light on the room. The shadows of chairs and tables painted silhouettes against the fading glow, and Link could feel the rise of goose bumps on his arms. Soundlessly, he stepped further into the wide room, as a shadow grew before him. Out of nowhere, a slim, dark figure wafted there, and it didn't seem to have a physical body. No facial features could be seen, nor were there feet or even arms.

Link froze when he spied the thing, lifting the sword a bit higher, taking a fighting stance automatically. His Triforce came to life, gleaming hot on his left hand. The shadow shrieked as the light became stronger and wafted into the corner of the room, far away from Link. The hero wanted to fight it, but didn't know how he should banish some shadow. This was not the Master Sword, but Ganondorf's very own blade. Dark and powerful, made from shades and darkness. And somehow this creature seemed to be attracted by it. As the Hylian's strength faded, the Triforce lost its power, too. The shadow attacked swiftly, seeing its chance. Link hacked after it, but nothing happened. In a second, the creature was at him, expanding and surrounding him, trying to engulf all of his body, that suddenly felt limp and heavy. A huge hand pulled him backwards out of the darkness, another one was laid above Link's own hands, which were lifting the sword once more. "That's enough!" Ganondorf growled, and with a short burst of his power, the shadow immediately dispersed. The former demon king sighed. "You really shouldn't have brought the sword, you know?" He mumbled, still supporting Link by having wound his one arm around the hero from behind. The breath of the young man was ragged, he leaned heavily with his back against the man, not able to speak. 

"You clearly should have stayed in bed, Link." Still no answer except for heavy breathing. The Hylian had not even tried to get away from Ganondorf. His fingers had slipped from the sword's grip, which now solely laid in the hands of the demon lord.  
"Did I hit you with my powers? You're shaking." The grumbling had faded to softness and a certain concern. Link's Triforce flickered in a troubling way. Finally, the hero swallowed and tried to stand more on his own feet.  
"I have a fever. That's all," he stated.  
"I can see that. But you should be better by now. It's odd that your fever seems to be worse than before. After all you still have your Triforce's powers," Ganondorf replied and he sounded even more worried. "Maybe it isn't so strong here, outside of Hyrule."

"But you still have powers." Link mumbled. "And didn't the goddesses make all of the world?" Suddenly he felt like he knew nothing. All his lifetime, he grew up just with the stories and beliefs of the Hylians. But what about the other countries? Did they have their own gods, their own stories? Was the Triforce just a limited power after all?

"I've always had powers. The Triforce only serves as an amplifier of my spells, if you could say so. It also makes you live longer and stay healthier. That's why by now your pain and fever should've vanished. Even your bones should heal quicker as a normal man's. Come, I will help you back to bed." Ganondorf stretched his arms toward Link, and for once the hero willingly gave himself over to the arms of the older man. He definitely didn't like to be carried around, but he had no choice this time. His feet felt so feeble, he wouldn't make it upstairs otherwise, not even with support. Now, he was lifted effortlessly from the ground. Ganondorf held him securely as the wooden stairs creaked under their combined weight.

"What did you mean, I shouldn't have brought the sword?" The hero wanted to know.

"It's attracting the shadows. This one was only a messenger, but soon there could be more that are stronger than that one. They are calling for me. I am not your enemy anymore, but I am still a king of shadows. I might be born in Gerudo Valley, but my veins hold the blood of demons and darkness," the man said. "I am a ruler born to rule, since ancient times." 

"Sounds lonely." Link murmured, and the demon king chuckled.  
"It surely is. That's why I left my sword in Hyrule. It was to give up all my rights on any throne that might wait for me in the shadows. Now that you brought it, they know where I am and call me. But I should have known you are too bound to me to get rid of the thing." The voice of Ganon was teasing, and Link snorted.  
"It's you who has waited for me, not the other way round. So who of us is bound to whom?" Another laugh from the Gerudo.  
"Fine. You aren't only a formidable swordsman now, but also swift with your tongue it seems."  
"How is it you can say such casual phrases and yet sound so dirty?" The hero wondered, closing his eyes tiredly. They had reached his door by now and Ganondorf slipped quietly into the room, putting the hero down on his bed.

"Well.. women seem to like it. So I had some practice. Not that I needed it, I've plenty of experience." The man grinned like a shark. His strong arms flanked both of Link's sides as the hero laid beneath him, gazing upwards into the golden eyes of the inn keeper. Shouldn't those be dark? The hero reflected, for the man was after all meant to be evil. Gold always had been the colour of the Triforce, of this one godly power. "How about a kiss for my chivalry? A damsel in distress that has been saved should be thankful," Ganon whispered, bending closer. He met the blue, calm eyes of the Hylian with interest and curiosity, and a hint of desire. Link on the other hand neither looked willing nor disgusted. He was still, like an untouched forest pond.

"I am thankful," He said sternly. "But I won't kiss you."  
"Oh, you don't have to. I can kiss you." Again the man bent down a bit more. Their faces weren't apart more than the breadth of a hand. Link sighed.  
"No." Damn, he was tired and feverish. Though he had a lot of questions, for now he just wanted to sleep and heal.

"Very well," Ganon growled in a low voice and retreated. "I hope you have something else in mind then. My help never comes for free." And with that, he closed the door angrily behind him. How long would this last? Link wondered. How long would the demon lord hold back? It was a surprise that he did at all. He just could have taken that kiss, here and now, because Link was once more far too weakened to strike or hold off the Gerudo. Yet, Ganon had left him untouched.

The hero closed his eyes. He would deal with all this tomorrow. Hopefully, he was in a better condition then and could speak with Ganondorf. The problem after all wasn't just one kiss – it was what would follow. One kiss would only be the key for the Gerudo to have proven his suggestions about Link wanting him, too. One kiss, and the man would believe he really could seduce him. THAT was the problem, not the kiss. But the man had earned his thanks, so he would stay and help him with the inn for a week. Peeling potatoes or chopping vegetables, and as soon as he was better, even repairing things, helping out Rabo in the inn room or in the stables.  
Gods, he felt so tired. Exhausted beyond measure. And with those thoughts, sleep came fast, pulling him down into the deep abysses of his sub consciousness.

 

_He was falling through shades of light and shadow whirling around him. His body was full of heat and sourness, but the deeper he fell the lighter he became, until he was drifting along with sparkles of black and gold. When his feet touched silky ground, shadows rose around him, drifting and wavering, and among those dangerous creatures stood Ganondorf. His amber hair glowed like his eyes did and his face was stern. When his lips moved, the shadows retreated behind him, until it seemed a whole army was watching Link. The hero tilted his head ever so slightly. Beneath his feet a golden light spread, and suddenly he felt the weight of the Master Sword in his hand and the one of his Hylian Shield on his back. Soft, slim fingers gripped his shoulders from above, and as he turned his head to face who was there, he could see only the shimmering silhouette of a woman. The features of her face were too abstract to make out._

_"You will be needed." She whispered, grasping the hero tighter, yet not looking him in the eyes but focusing instead on Ganondorf. Confused, Link followed her gaze. Lightly, she reached down to his left hand, and lifting it, rubbed a thumb over the back of it. The Triforce came to life. Then she touched the Master Sword, and its blade radiated a blue shimmer. At the same time, the Triforce of Power and the Dark Sword of Ganondorf did the same._

_"You will be needed." The whispering voice vanished, as did the female figure. Now, Ganondorf came closer. His lips moved, but Link didn't hear him speaking. Puzzled, he backed down. The steel of the Master Sword collided with Ganondorf's dark blade, emanating a screeching sound. Heat shot through Link's body, the black world around him crumbled, and he screamed._


	5. In the same boat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shared dream seems to call both Ganondorf and Link into service.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my precious readers! :)  
> Here is a new chapter starring Link and Ganondorf. I hope it keeps you entertained till the next update. Have a lot of fun while reading!
> 
> I also want to express my dearest thanks to PaladinDragon, who is supporting me by doing a great job beta reading my stuff.  
> Thanks also to all of you who are reading and following and reviewing.
> 
> Disclaimer: Link and Ganondorf belong to Nintendo.

 

With a sudden thump, the hero fell on the floor beside his bed. His own scream still echoed in his head. Panting, he tried to get at least on his knees, when his one hand touched cool metal. In the light of the breaking dawn, the blade of the Master Sword shone silently beneath his fingers. Link blinked. "How..?" He asked into the empty room. He tightly gripped the sword's hilt and stood up. His fever was gone, and also his head felt a lot clearer than before. Thigh and ribs were still sore, but better. Something had happened, while he was inside this dream. Or while he was dreaming. Yet he still couldn't quite grasp the meaning of all this. He'd be needed, but what for? Did he have to fight Ganon again? Nearly everything in the dream hinted in that direction, yet… how the woman had looked to the man. How their powers had been resonating. Was it really Ganondorf he'd be needed for? The man had called back the shadows in his dream. He hadn't attacked. Not even in the end had it been an attack, Link recalled. The man only had lifted his sword so much as to cross blades, not in a strike, but in a simple touch. "What am I meant to make of this?" The Hylian asked himself, murmuring.

He shook his head, feeling dreadful, then put on his clothes. It was early, but he had a feeling he would find Ganon in the kitchen. The sword in his left hand, he crept down the stairs and found his way there. Indeed, Ganondorf was standing in front of the hearth, fire licking behind thick glass, while he stirred a small pot with berries, that surely soon would become marmalade. The sight was so unusual and unfitting for the huge, muscular figure, that Link stopped dead.

The Gerudo turned his head only for a quick glance, then returned to stirring. "So, you had the same dream, huh?" He said this, as if Link's thoughts once more were written all over his face. "And you got your shiny little sword back," Ganondorf added, part amused, part earnest.

The hero nodded. "Yes. I did. Both of it, if you mean the dream about light, shadow and being needed."

The man sighed deeply, it almost sounded mournful. "It seems, soon the golden times will turn dark. And here I thought I just could sit back for the rest of my life and enjoy the simple things."

"Will we have to fight another again?" Link asked, mostly because he sensed that Ganondorf had more insight into the meaning of the dream than he had. But the man only shrugged. "I don't know. I don't plan on making problems, if you ask me. I also don't plan on taking the rule over the shadows. Yet it seems, I will play a part in this new game. And if I were to choose, I'd take your side this time. Or rather stay here and make marmalade for the rest of my days."

"Which is a disturbing sight," Link whispered. Ganondorf laughed heartily.

"Get used to it!" He lifted a wooden spoon out of the pot and held it in Link's direction. "Wanna try? It's stoneberries. They only grow on the top of the canyon stones and aren't easy to get. But Rabo is a skilled climber, he fetched some yesterday short before sunset. My Stoneberry Jam is costly and the best you can find."

"And that's why you offer it so freely to me?" Link suggested scoffingly. Yet he took the spoon and dove his finger into the hot jam and then in his mouth. He must admit, it was delicious. The hero nodded in approval. "Very exquisite," he said and raised a genuine smile from the other man.

"You seem oddly unfitting here with the sword in your hand," the inn keeper now pointed out, obviously pleased about Link's praise.

"I know," the younger one replied. "I don't even get how it.. came here. I left it with Zelda in Hyrule castle."

"At least the shadows won't bother you anymore. They avoid the light and the holy power dwelling within the blade."

"And yet, there is no shadow without light. And vice-versa," the Hylian murmured. He sounded sourly, not amused about the fact that some new danger seemed to lurk and wait for him. For both of them. For once, why couldn't the peace last? He had dedicated himself to rebuilding Hyrule, helping Zelda and making up for his failure, and now that he wanted time for himself to see the world, he was called to service once again.

Loathly, Link gripped his sword tighter, then resigned with a sigh. "I'm going to hide the sword, then I'll help you in the kitchen. It's the least I can do for your help yesterday." The hero turned.

"I'd still prefer the kiss," Ganondorf grumbled, a muffled sound because the Hylian already had left the kitchen. Yet Link understood the words perfectly well.

Up in his room, he looked around frowning. He had no scabbard for his sword, so how was he supposed to carry it around if need be? The hero sighed softly. All this was so.. strange. In an absolutely new way of strange. On the one side, there were mysterious dreams, shadows and strangers. On the other a jam cooking, jest making, inn keeping Ganondorf. This mixture alone made his head ache. It was also puzzling for him to feel comfortable around here, almost at peace. In spite of Ganon trying to bed him. Why was that? Why was this place like home to him? Link lifted the sword and found his reflection in the marvellous blade. He was still pale, his eyes slightly feverish. Yet he felt better, good enough to do more than lying around.

"Shall I teach you?"

Link whirled around. He hadn't heard the slightest sound that might have betrayed Ganon's coming. Yet, there he stood, big and strong, earnest for once, but there was this playful gleam in his eyes.

"Teach me what?" The Hylian asked, confused.

"Magic," was the straight answer and Ganondorf entered the room completely now.

"I don't have magic, you very well know that."

"Yes you have, even if it's just a tiny bit. You possess the power of a Triforce part, after all. And the Master Sword obeys you willingly. There is magic in all of us, but just very few can use it. Yours has been awakened when you became the Hero of Twilight. It's enough for one or two little tricks. This one, for example." The man held out his hand, and bit by bit, his huge, black sword appeared, its hilt firm between those strong fingers of his. Link blinked.

"So, that's why you never carried a scabbard around," was his conclusion, and the Gerudo nodded.

"You can do this, too. But unlike me, you were never meant to be a sorcerer with greater powers, so your abilities won't go far."

"A few tricks never can hurt, though," Link suggested. "Am I able to call any weapon like that? Or are you?"

"No. To a magical call, only magical weapons will answer. And they have to resonate with you. A normal sword will never do. The Master Sword answered to your call already. It appeared because of your dream. You knew you would need it, though mostly subconsciously, I guess. And the sword heeded that call."

"My assumption was that this woman in my dream sent it to me," Link murmured, staring at his beloved weapon.

"Partly, yes. She would have sent mine, too, if you hadn't brought it along already."

"You know her?"

Ganondorf shook his head. "It's only a guess. There aren't many dreamwalkers on this world with power enough to summon things. I'm not even sure she's really human. She could also be a goddess, or serve one."

"A goddess! What is it I shall do for a goddess, she can't do herself?" Link wondered. The power of gods and goddesses was limitless in his understanding. They had created the world with all its living beings, they had forged mountains and valleys, deserts and green fields, lakes and seas, good and evil. Why should they need a mere human like him?

"Well, I guess she isn't allowed to interfere personally. It would probably destroy all balance at once, if a god or goddess were to descend on our lands again," Ganondorf suggested. He smiled, deeply amused. "Besides, if I were a god, I'd let you fight, too. Why bother myself, if there are chosen ones to do that job?"

Link frowned. "Yes, that would pretty much suit your character," he said dryly. The man laughed.

"It does indeed. But I'm not a god and are, like you, just a pawn to do their bidding. I can only hope to get a fat reward in the end, instead of death."

"You cannot die," Link pointed out, but Ganon shook his head.

"I can die like everyone else. It's just that I'll be reborn. And the circle will start anew. Nothing I'm too keen on. That's why I'd like to try ignoring all that rambling. Unfortunately, even I cannot avoid being dragged into this."

The Gerudo could see another question in the hero's eyes. He grinned sluggishly. "You wonder, why someone like me can't help but follow the call," he guessed, and Link shrugged softly. Ganon was a very powerful man. To think, he couldn't just walk away from this new twist of things was kind of unthinkable.

"As I said. She is powerful. Her call is strong. And if I don't want to end up dead by penalty, I have no choice but to risk death by fighting for her," he explained. Link frowned and shook his head.

"I understand your reasons. Yet I'd rather like to have some peace for a while. Are there no other heroes out there? At the moment, I am not even in the country I normally would fight for!" The Hylian's voice was underlined with soft, helpless anger. Something Ganondorf could understand only too well.

"Let's just wait. For the moment, we don't have any real orders. Maybe we can have some fun still." And with that, his usual grin came back. "Now, for your magic training I suggest we go outside. Who knows what could go wrong. I hope you feel well enough to endure my charming self for another hour."

Ganon bowed mockingly and beckoned Link to leave the room. The hero grabbed his sword and cane, and passed the man with utmost annoyed sincerity, then stopped in his tracks and turned around. "I want you to teach me magic," he affirmed suddenly. "But as you said, your help never comes for free. So I offer to stay and help you. Don't even try to propose any carnal payments. Detach yourself from that idea, because I won't give in to your longings." Link was calm but clear about this. The Gerudo only shrugged without comment. He smiled darkly.

"Forget it. This is the fun I have been waiting on for years. Deal with it," he replied unfazed. For a moment, they stared at each other. The Hylian was in full control of his emotions, but while he studied the amber-haired man's face, he didn't know if to be angry, desperate, or amused. His sky-blue eyes finally averted, and Link went on as if nothing happened. He knew to give in to his anger would have only spurred on Ganondorf some more. Not willing to give the Gerudo this pleasure, he decided to commit to the task ahead.

Magic, he thought. How would it be like to use magic? Pondering, Link descended the stairs, Ganondorf following him with solemn, heavy treads. Which made the hero wonder, how the man managed to sneak up on him from time to time. "Do you use magic to silence your footsteps, too?" Link asked curiously, and the Gerudo laughed. If he was disappointed about the outcome of their little conversation, he didn't let on a thing about it.

"From time to time. But I also sneak quite well without magic."

The former Hero of Time lifted his brows. Ganondorf wasn't what you would call light on his feet. His big, trained, muscular form shouldn't have been able to sneak up the wooden stairs without making it creak. But Link didn't comment. There were certainly many talents Ganon had and that he didn't know about. That was, after all, what made the king of shadows so powerful and dangerous.

Outside, they took a turn to the left, away from the stables and around the other corner of the house. There was not much to see; only a high and solid wall of natural stone with a dark hole in it. It seemed to be one of the many entrances to the various caves and alcoves that made the stone look like sand-brown cheese. Link had used a lot of them on the way here, mostly to rest at night. This one, though, was much bigger. Goosebumps were prickling on his forearms, as they both entered the stone mouth and were swallowed by darkness.


	6. Magic lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf shows Link how to call his sword - or at least, he plans to do that. But someone messes up the session.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dislaimer: Link and Ganondorf belong to Nintendo
> 
> So, hello there!  
> What should I tell? It's a new chapter, and for once, a bit longer. 
> 
> Big thanks to PaladinDragon for betaing my stuff and for encouraging me to keep it up. 3  
> Thanks to all readers and followers for your support on this story!
> 
> I also have a tumblr account, where I plan to provide additional snippets regarding my fanfiction. Facts about the background of my story, artwork, maybe even little side stories written down as one-shot. So if you are interested, you can find me under the name 'bartkartoffeln' on Tumblr.

* * *

"Can you feel it, Hero?" Asked the deep voice of Link's former enemy, with certain amusement. Doubtless Ganon wanted to mock him, calling him 'hero', but as always, the Hylian stayed calm.   
"This place is holy," he answered softly.  
"Well.. I wouldn't know about that, but it is definitely magical. And what better place to start your training than this?" 

"Does Rabo know about this place?" Link wanted to know. He limped along slowly, and used the walls for orientation and support. Ganondorf didn't seem to mind about the slow motion.   
"He knows. But he doesn't feel it. For him it's simply 'the Cave', as he calls it. My suggestion is that someone with magic powers died here and was buried inside. There.. you can already see it." 

Sunlight was flooding through holes in the ceiling of the big cavern they had just reached. Where it touched the ground, earth covered with plants and flowers could be seen. They had even claimed the rough walls partly. The flowers had the brightest colours. Red, blue and golden, silvery white mixed with spots of pink and orange. They weren't big, but plastered the whole floor, nourished by a very intriguing, black earth that looked like stone that had been crushed to sand. Obviously, it contained enough minerals and humidity to let the plants grow. "It's beautiful," the Hylian admitted in awe, not daring to take the last steps to reach the innermost of the cave. Ganon nodded and pushed him softly forward.   
"Now, sit down with me, will you? Let's feel the magic first, before you try something." 

For a moment, old distrust surfaced on the former hero's face, the feeling hitting him without a real trigger. Link didn't even know why, out of all times, now he had a moment of caution. He leaned heavily on his cane and tried to analyze the Gerudo's intentions. Ganondorf chuckled darker than thunder. "No need for your wariness, Link. If I really wanted to return to old habits, I wouldn't have sought to be alone with you in a cave. I would have taken you down ferociously and stomped your bones into the bleached ground of my former home," the man sneered in a low, slightly menacing voice. From behind, he had gripped Link's chin and forced him to lay his head back. The King of Demons smiled, for once the hero's eyes did not look at him with stoic determination, but with anger and fighting spirit. The Hylian was ready to face him if need be, regardless of his condition and his many injuries. For a long moment, they just stared at each other, tension building up, thinking about how this peace between them might be more rickety than the former hero had thought. And Ganondorf enjoyed every bit of this moment. He enjoyed the unbent will of Link, the promise to never back down in those sky-blue eyes. 

The man with the blazing hair let go of the former hero and shrugged. "But I vowed and it's no longer my intention to vanquish you. I have other things in mind."  
"You certainly do," the Hylian retorted coolly, taking a huge step away from the man. How could he really have forgotten the power and the menace that were constant companions of Ganondorf? Had the Gerudo lulled him so fast with his soft voice and warm chuckles? It seemed to Link he was losing his edge. But instead of nourishing the other man's pride and arrogance further, he kept those thoughts to himself. 

"Now, shall we proceed? I still have other things to do, hero." Ganondorf said finally, yanking Link back to reality. The Hylian merely nodded and stepped onto the carpet of flowers, where he sat down cross-legged. It hurt, but he bit back a whimper with soldier-like routine. This pain was nothing compared to what he had endured during their first battle several years ago. Beside him, the huge figure of the Gerudo followed suit with bored smoothness, but his golden eyes were watching intently Link's reaction. He never missed an occasion to test out how he might be able to trigger some emotion out of the well-trained warrior, as he had done by being sneaky just a few minutes ago. "In order to feel the magic, I will give you some initial aid. It's nothing bad. Just lay your hand in mine, and I'll show you the way. After that it will be easier for you to find what you are looking for around you and - very important - inside you," the huge man declared. He laid his left hand onto his knee, palm facing upwards, waiting for Link to take it. It didn't take a lot of attentiveness to read the scepticism in the hero's eyes. 

"I have a feeling this won't end well, Demon King," he informed Ganondorf grimly. His eyes were darker now, like churning thunderclouds. It surprised the Gerudo that Link was so persistent in his scepticism. How should they both know, that this foreboding feeling inside the hero wasn't even really linked to Ganon? The man sighed. 

"Don't worry, I mean you no harm. I intend to help. I tended to you for days now and nothing happened. Why the sudden suspicion I would try to change this peace I wanted in the first place? Now give me your hand, Link, and stop wasting my time!" The last words came out as a fierce, slightly annoyed growl. The Hylian understood that this particular anger was about him not trusting the Lord of Shadows. Was it so important for Ganondorf to have his approval? And why would the man with the blazing hair even strive for that? What was the Gerudo's motive? He had made it clear that he was attracted to Link, and obviously the man wanted sexual intercourse. But the hero still found it hard to understand why approval and trust seemed to be of essence to the Demon King. Especially because the man showed time and time again facets of his personality that made Link aware how menacing Ganondorf could be. The soldier sighed. 

"You are still a difficult person to deal with." He shook his head and reluctantly laid his hand into the bigger one of the sorcerer, closing his eyes. At first, nothing happened. There were only half faded calluses and warmth and strength, as the Gerudo gripped the fingers of the younger fighter. 

Then, an odd tingle spread throughout his heart, like a call. It was as if fingernails scraped over rough fabric, neither a good feeling nor a bad one. Link frowned and tried to grasp the magic that Ganon wanted to show him. But suddenly, the scraping and tingling in his soul vanished. Seconds later it struck him that there was no sound anymore. He couldn't hear the breathing of the Gerudo beside him, couldn't hear the wind, or the drip of water against the stone. All those natural sounds around him just seemed to have died out. 

Link opened his eyes in alarm and saw only blackness. This dense, heavy darkness surrounded him, pressing in on him so that he felt his breath catch in his throat. Suddenly, he didn't sit anymore, but drifted mid-air. "If this is one of your tricks, you better end this now, Ganondorf," he exclaimed harshly, but his voice was devoured by obscurity. But another part of the hero knew this wasn't the Demon King's doing. The very one had never let go of his hand and tightened his grip now. 

"Please, hero, I prefer the direct fight with you. Illusions don't fit my pride," the Gerudo growled in a low voice, a deep, muffled sound. He was right there beside him, but his huge figure was clouded by the dusty Shadows around them. In his eagerness to assess the situation, Link hadn't even realized the pressure on his right hand. It was an odd feeling. He wasn't afraid, yet he couldn't help but feel more at ease having the Gerudo with him. 

"What is this? Show yourself, intruder!" The Demon King demanded. His charming self as an inn keeper was at once replaced by the natural arrogance and authority befit for a king.  
The laughter that pierced suddenly through the blackness was a soft, rasping tenor. "How demanding you can be, brother. Demanding, even though you are in my netherworld and subject to my rules now. I wanted to invite only you, but the one beside you seems to be rather persisting." The rasping of the unknown's voice was disturbing and made Link want to clear his own throat. More disturbing was the information the words of the stranger provided. Had they been captured in another world already? Was this an illusion? A dream? The thoughts of the hero were racing, he was trying to find answers and a solution to the new problem at the same time. 

"I am not your brother!" Ganondorf growled darkly. "And I certainly must have missed your invitation. Kidnapping is clearly the more fitting expression." The Gerudo's eyes glowed, full of anger. He wasn't one to be bossed around.  
"Aren't you curious what my intentions might be?" the rasping voice asked. "I wanted to make you an offer. You and I have much in common, after all. On the other hand, my words and promises are not for the ears of the light child." 

Link lifted his eyebrows. If this was the new enemy, the new threat that Ganon and he assumed, then he certainly didn't lose time to turn the tides in his favor. The Hylian was afraid the Demon King might take this offer, and was not surprised when the huge man beside him smiled coolly. "An offer?" He repeated thoughtfully. "Speak, then," Ganondorf demanded, now sounding mildly interested. The hero gritted his teeth. He wasn't keen on working together with the Gerudo, but having him as an additional enemy would be outright cataclysmal. While the stranger's raspy voice drawled on, Link tried to calm himself and summon his sword. Their training in magical sword summoning hadn't even started yet, but he needed to do something. He needed to break the spell, to expel the evil. For this, he would need his mighty blade direly. Link tried to remember the feeling from his dream. The feeling of his weapon in his hand, the soft glow of the metal, the need to swing it once more against foes. He pictured the holy sword in every little detail, from the razor-sharp tip over the flat and shiny blade to the purple grip. The hero remembered the weight, how it felt to use the weapon, how powerful it sang when he slashed it at the evil in the world. With all his might, Link tried to call forth the Master Sword. 

Meanwhile, the darkness introduced itself.  
"I am Teneb, the Ruler over the Dreamworld. Help me to guide the mortal creatures into my eternal dreams, and I can grant you true freedom from the cycle," was the short but clear offer of the rasping blackness.  
"In other words, you want to enslave all people within your dreams," the Demon Lord reshaped Teneb's intention.   
"Quite so, brother. Quite so. Quick on the uptake, aren't you?" The Dream King chuckled. That was the moment when Link finally got a grip again on the call, the magic. It was partly intuition, partly wishful thinking, and lastly the voice of a woman in his ears, that guided him. He knew her voice from somewhere. 

_Follow my lead_ , she said. _Just give in, I will guide you..._ And Link followed. What else could he do? It was like a stream of silver moonlight, sweet and cool. It touched his heart, reached for his wish to call his sword, and he gave in. Behind closed eyes, the hero could feel it, his connection to the Master Sword, like a rope tying his hand and the holy blade together. He gripped it, this silver rope, and pulled. Hard. There it manifested, the glowing Ban of Evil, right in his hand! Bit by bit it formed, and what was silver moonlight became his weapon. It was time to interrupt the voice that was trying to persuade Ganondorf to literally follow the dark side. 

"NO!" Link exclaimed ferociously. "You will not make him break his vow!" Despite being under the rule of the shadows, his voice was much clearer now, and flashed like lightning through the blackness. The Triforce of Courage lifted the darkness and illuminated everything around him. The Master Sword gained its complete form, resonating with the golden power and giving him further strength. Link sprang forth and swung the blade, trying to slice the shadows before him, led by sheer intuition. A high screech exploded in his ears, as the power of the holy sword dispelled the dream. Everything dissolved into thin smoke, retreating but not entirely vanishing. Instead it became the shallow figure of a man, wavering in mid-air. 

Link's feet suddenly found hard ground, and the return of gravity made him stumble. The sudden strain on his body as well as his own momentum made him nearly fall to his knees. Ganondorf was much more elegant and alighted with powerful grace. His eyes gleamed with an odd satisfaction. The emotion vanished, as he saw the smoke-man forming claws, long and sharp. He didn't doubt they would be able to tear someone apart, despite looking like they were made from black fog. A man who could drag him and the hero together into a dark dream must not be taken lightly. Link saw the shadow man, too, and seemed determined to face him, for he braced against a possible attack. His stance wasn't very solid but of formidable technique. Far, far better than years ago, when they had battled in the gardens of Hyrule Castle, the Demon King mused. 

But in his current condition it wouldn't suffice to ward off such an enemy. Doubtless, the inexpertly usage of power had taken its toll on Link's body. The shadow-man attacked swiftly, aiming for Link's throat. Instead of blocking, the Hylian let himself fall sideways and rolled halfway around the figure, bringing the Master Sword upward with a short slash. The particles of the attacker parted, the scheme flickered. It came at him again, even faster this time. Link hoicked his blade, but the claws somehow went around it. Just before the attacker's hand reached the hero, a sudden outburst of magic dispersed the shadow into its atoms, the claws missing their target. Instead of hitting Link's forehead, they sliced three deep scratches into his right cheek. Blood welled from the cuts, running down his face and dripping to the floor and onto his tunic. The red liquid soaked into the rough fabric. Link brought his fingertips to the fresh wounds, slightly touching the rims. The scratches burned like fire and made his head spin, but he would deal with that. 

"So.. he will not make me break my vow, hm?" Ganondorf sounded intrigued and chuckled lowly. He studied Link, as the hero tried to get up, and his gaze especially beheld the fine sword in the hands of his former enemy. "How in Din's name did you call your sword? We didn't even start training," the Gerudo wanted to know. He drew closer to Link and extended one hand to him. The Hylian didn't react, neither to his words, nor to the hand. Instead, he looked exhausted to the bone, still working what exactly had happened the last few minutes. 

Finally, his soft but calm voice spoke up, "I am a fast learner. But my condition is not good enough to fight properly. Or to face sudden illusions, dreams, or enemies without being prepared. I might not have died from that last attack, but I would definitely have lost an eye," Link sighed and took the hand of Ganondorf, who helped him get up. "Thank you for helping me out." 

The lips of the Demon King formed a dark smile. "I must say, I like your sternness about all this. It's intriguing. You have matured quite a bit since our last battle. I actually itch for a rematch - a friendly one, of course. In the meantime: you're welcome, hero." He had well noticed that the Hylian hadn't answered his question, but for the time being Ganondorf dropped the issue. 

Link nodded and picked up his cane. "Do you think, he is coming back soon? This Teneb doesn't seem to waste time, does he?" He had hoped that there would be time enough to not only find out what was going on, but also to heal. But fate seldom waited, it seemed.  
Ganon grew serious. "No, he doesn't. And I don't like that one bit. I need time to arrange some things." He bowed close to Link and inspected the bleeding scratches. "We better take care of this, too. Who knows, what those claws might be capable of." His thumb carefully stroked over the wounds, smearing the blood, leaving a burning pain. Link sighed deeply.   
"I appreciate your concern, but you don't have to use every excuse you can find to ignore my personal space." 

"I know that perfectly well. And I choose to ignore it. As I ignore many things, like pesky flies that cannot even touch me. You are by far no fly anymore," the huge man mumbled contently. "I liked your fire already, when you started out on your quest to save Hyrule. Today, I like it even more. What do you want to do about it, Link?"  
The answer was a light, piercing pain at his throat. The Hylian had lifted his sword with one shaking hand and pressed it softly into the skin of the Gerudo, right beneath his larynx. His gaze was level and calm. Ganondorf stepped back and let out a bark of laughter, warm and genuine – and dark. 

"One day, Link. One day there isn't going to be a holding back for me. But for today, I accept your silent threat," the man with the blazing hair granted patronizing. There was, however, a slight warning in the undertone to his words, despite his smirk. Link stared at the Gerudo pensively. 

"You vowed not to harm me. Are you saying you are planning on going back on your word? Or is this only an empty threat?" He asked blandly. 

His voice was intentionally neutral, yet it had a certain… edge to it. Under the Hylian's soft question seemed to lurk something dangerous. For the second time during their reunion, the indifference towards Ganondorf was broken by a spark of fighting spirit. He wanted to hear from the Gerudo himself that he wouldn't throw away the peace they had committed to for some carnal pleasure. 

"Interesting," the huge man murmured, rubbing his chin. "Very interesting." He didn't explain what exactly he found 'interesting', he just turned in direction of the cave entrance. "For days I try to ignite something, anything in you. And this is the thing that sets you off?" He added, finally. A deep sigh followed. "I am not planning on breaking my vow… yet. Considering how rare the opportunities are to have a normal life, me breaking my vow is most likely not going to happen at all. I'm enjoying myself. Don't worry." He waved the topic aside. 

Link lifted an eyebrow and seemed to debate, whether he wanted to believe Ganon or not. On the one hand, the man had said himself that he would rather fight on the hero's side.  
On the other hand, there was of course the whole Teneb-thing. The Gerudo had sounded interested in the offer, the King of Dreams had made: true freedom from the cycle. It surely was tempting for the powerful man to try it. So one way or another, maybe Ganondorf would shatter their peace contract. 

"It's so easy to read you, hero," the Demon King whispered, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Link snapped back to reality. His blue eyes, pupils dilated from the pain in his body, pierced right into the golden ones of Ganondorf. The man shook his head, and suddenly, just for the blink of an eye, he looked incredibly sad. "There is no such thing as true freedom. We are all slaves to something. It's just so that we don't always see it – or that we accept it because it feels right. No one can grant you true freedom."  
"But Teneb was specifically referring to true freedom from the cycle, not freedom in general." The warrior retorted demurely, but he couldn't deny to himself that Ganondorf's sudden sadness shook him. Such emotions from the dark king were alien to Link. He only knew the blaze-haired man as determined and sinister fighter, someone who knew what he wanted and knew also how to take it. 

The other man shrugged. "He cannot give it to me. Only the goddesses could free me from the cycle, and they would never give up one of their most beloved playthings. However, there is a possibility to make them owe me. And that is why I consider playing along. As long as I can have a reward at the end." His old sly smile resurfaced, destroying the melancholic attitude. 

Link studied the face of his former enemy and, after a short moment, nodded as if he'd simply accept this. Then he looked at his sword that now was more hindering than useful. Without a proper scabbard and sword belt, carrying it around in his actual condition was cumbersome, and he didn't know how to send it back to wherever it had come from. Yet he didn't complain, but limped in direction of the cave exit. They better get back to the inn, before he tilted over. All the improvement in his condition had been blown away by that last fight. The Hylian hurt all over, cheek, ribs, head and thigh. By the goddesses, he had to heal faster! 

He could feel the presence of Ganondorf beside him almost immediately. The huge Gerudo had caught up to him without effort and strolled slowly along. The trouble-free attitude of the man was unnerving for Link, who was hindered by his own injuries. He ached for some training. His body was used to hard exercising and yearned for exhaustion of the good kind. Of course, during his journey, he didn't train as much as during his time as head of the guard. But he would shoot things from horseback; he would do some idle swordplay, repeating his stances and movements over and over again. 

"I probably better carry you. You are awfully slow, hero, and your limping has become worse again," Ganondorf droned beside him.  
"No. I am no toy you can carry around and have fun with. I am a trained, seasoned warrior of Hyrule, and not a child you have to pamper. It's time you stop treating me as if I was inferior to you. Or as if I was some idle entertainment for you!" Link sounded slightly angry. Ganondorf smiled widely in the darkness of the tunnel. 

"I am only considerate, oh my precious guest," he said in such an amiable way it raised the Hylian's hackles. At least, the Demon King did nothing further to undermine his self-esteem and kept not only his hands to himself, but also a respectful distance while they were returning.


	7. To the lazy chumps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link reflects on his life and how he isn't attached to anything or anyone in particular. Also, he has his first amiable encounter with Ganondorf's guests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Link and Ganondorf belong to Nintendo
> 
> Hello, my dear readers!  
> Here is the new chapter. I hope you like it. Should you feel up to leave comments, I take them as they are. But it is absolutely optional.  
> However, if some of you should think something's not logical, or something's missing, too out of character, whatever, I am glad to hear about! I want to improve and will take any constructive criticism seriously. :)
> 
> Special thanks to PaladinDragon who is betareading and improving my work. 3
> 
> In case any of you are interested in additional stuff or short fics from me, you can find it on tumblr, where I roam under the name bartkartoffeln.  
> (But it's still growing, so don't be disappointed if you do not already find looaaads of stuff.)

* * *

As they exited the cave and reached the tavern's doors, it was close to noon. Had the time passed that fast? Link wondered, looking up to the crystal-blue sky.

"It's time for lunch. I better get prepared. There are going to be some guests soon," Ganondorf murmured contently. He passed by the Hylian and caught the other man's gaze. "You don't have to worry about all those grave things that are messing around in your pretty little head, Link. It certainly is appealing to see you being worked up so much over me. But I won't break this vow. I'm fighting on your side, now," the Gerudo grinned widely, but his golden eyes shone earnestly.

"Maybe that is what concerns me," the soldier replied dryly. "If I have my hands full holding you off, how shall I fight another one?"

"You are going to deal with it, as you have dealt with many things before," the Gerudo answered nonchalantly and opened the door for the hobbling hero. Link frowned and watched the giant man carefully. There were these moments between them, where he could see the centuries in those golden eyes. Moments, where both of them just stared at each other for seconds, and that was when Ganondorf looked aware. Link then felt like he was the one unaware of so many things, while the Gerudo brimmed with the power of age, knowledge, and strength. It would have been clever to feel intimidated and to be cautious. Instead the Hylian found himself growing more curious every time he watched the huge man with the blazing hair. And even though the other one was literally towering over him, Link couldn't find himself threatened. Certainly, some of Ganondorf's actions were of questionable character, yet the relaxed, heavy shoulders and the face that was lined with contentment and humor did a lot to dissipate any mistrust. Another quite dangerous feature of the Gerudo. He made you forget how brutal and truculent the man could be.

The hero looked up to Ganondorf and lifted a brow. "There is something you are not telling me," he claimed.

"No. There are a lot of things that I am not telling you," Ganon replied seriously. "But you are already getting better at reading me. Who knows? Next time we fight, you might stand a chance."

"To be honest, I'd rather not in this life. So please keep cooking jam for as long as you can," Link said with a slight hint of humor in his voice. "Even if that is the most disturbing sight I have ever endured. Worse than skeletons rising from their graves and monkeys wiggling their pink backsides." He crossed the threshold of the inn and heard the door close behind him. When he turned into the direction of the kitchen, a big hand landed heavily on Link's left shoulder.

"You are going to patch up your cheek and then rest. Your help can wait till the next morning. Using so much power is exhausting for the untrained. And you are untrained. You haven't used that much force for seven years, have you?"

The Hylian shook off Ganondorf's hand. "You are right. I can feel already the price my body is paying. I will rest some more, while I have the chance," Link agreed. He turned away from the kitchen and hobbled to the stairwell instead.

"I'll bring you some healing tea later. Maybe you will feel better by tonight. I am expecting a singer. Her music is known all over Praelar and to have her as my guest will be quite the attraction for people from near and far. It's said her voice puts the soul at ease and lets you forget your injuries, and this beautiful woman is visiting my inn. For the best pumpkin-and-pork stew all over the world," the Gerudo boasted with a knowing smirk. "Her songs are marvellous to behold. So see that you're rested enough to come down and listen," he added in his graceful Gerudo accent, silkening his dark voice with promise.

Link, who had already climbed half the stairs, sighed. "You are and will always be one of a kind," he said and it nearly sounded soft. There he stood, Ganondorf the Demon King, chieftain of Gerudos, and bragged about his skills as a cook. The Hylian continued climbing the stairs, shaking his head slightly. The pain was now seeping into his bones, and he really looked forward to some rest.

Ganondorf didn't stay with him but vanished into his beloved kitchen, where he would ready the meals for his next guests.

In his room, Link leaned the Master Sword against the night stand beside his bed. After washing the blood from his face, the former hero inspected his cuts and administered a soothing paste. The burning ceased a bit, but he assumed that scars would remain, no matter how good he treated the raw skin. It didn't really bother him. This wasn't his first scar, and wouldn't be the last.

The Hylian sat down on the mattress and took a moment to look around. The huge blade he had brought was now gone - of course Ganondorf had kept it after their little night encounter. His other belongings were still there. Beside a dark green cloak that should ward off wind and rain during his travels, there was a sleeping roll, a small pack of simple clothes, his water skin and of course the saddlebags with maps, a dagger, a few carrots for Epona and healing pastes, as well as provisions. He knew there was a diary at the bottom of one of his bags and a good luck charm he had gotten when he'd said his goodbyes to his friends and family in Ordon. His weapon belt held another few little bags with useful tools and his money. Everything was laid out neatly. When Link looked at all this, he felt oddly detached. Sure, all those things were his, they belonged to him. Yet it dawned on him that he wouldn't mourn the loss of any of his stuff. Not even the diary or the good luck charm. Only the Master Sword held a very special meaning to him.

The Hylian also had recognized earlier that he loved the people he called friends and family, but despite him growing up in Ordon or serving the Princess of Hyrule, he never truly had felt bonded. Was this the reason for his wish to journey the world? Was he searching for something that he could really get attached to? Or was he just missing a real goal?

Of course he would have mourned the loss of his friends, or of Zelda. Of his comrades from the Palace Guard. Had one of them died, he would have certainly been devastated. But never would he have grieved for long. Instead, he would have moved forward.

With a deep sigh, Link shook off the suddenly melancholic thoughts and laid back on his bed. No, he didn't miss them, he reflected. Why was that?

_Because you have a soul of courage,_ she whispered to him. _Because in your heart, they are always with you. You carry your home inside you..._

The hero blinked and sat up again, but there was no one in the room besides him. The voice, however, lingered in his head, like the touch of moonlight. Bemused, Link rubbed his weary eyes and laid down once again. He knew that voice, it had guided him to magically call the Master Sword. It was the woman from his dream. Would he see her again, when he closed his eyes? Maybe she could tell him more details. He and Ganondorf would need them badly, if they wanted to set out on another mission. Together. Another deep sigh rose from his throat. Link closed his eyes and despite the many thoughts in his head, it didn't take him long to doze off.

It was a soft rap on his door that woke him up hours later. The sun was about to set and only the dim twilight of the evening hour drifted into his room. Link opened his eyes and felt... good. Before he could examine his wounds further though, Ganondorf entered. Like so often, he didn't even wait for permission. Instead, he filled the small door frame with his tremendous body, a roughly wrought clay mug in his huge hands. The former hero didn't even have time to sit up before the man stood beside his bed. From downstairs, raucous laughter and the scent of all kinds of food wafted through the open door, mingling with the strong odor of the healing tea that steamed inside the mug. The Gerudo had kept his promise to bring the valuable beverage for his guest and held it out to Link, his most annoying canine-grin showing on his face.

"Well, you look much better now. This Triforce does wonders, huh?" Ganondorf noted quizzically, while Link took the tea from the man's hands. He blew softly over the surface of the hot liquid. His nose couldn't quite identify the ingredients of the beverage, and its scent lingered, almost unsavory, on his taste buds. Hesitating, the former hero sipped at the tea and frowned deeply. The tea tasted earthy, with a strong flavor of leaves to it. Also, something unknown mingled with the taste, something foreign and weird-tasting. Yet, Link didn't comment on the tea but turned his attention to something that had been occupying his mind for a bit now.

"Why is it healing me now, but hasn't before? And is the Triforce really the only thing healing me?" The warrior asked evenly. From under his bangs, he looked up through earnest crystal-blue eyes to the huge man, who was half perching on a bed post. Not only was this look rather casual, it also was fitting of the playful mood the Gerudo seemed to be in.

"Well, obviously it went dormant after our little chit-chat a few years ago, I'd guess. You never really used it actively, and I would think you didn't start with it after I left. Its power is, after all, divine, and has a divine purpose. Without purpose, why should it waste its energy? To use it, you would have needed more magic training. What remains is the trait that attracted the Triforce to you from the beginning: your courage," Ganon explained generously. Link pondered a few moments over this.

"So now that there is another divine purpose, it's easier for me to tap into the power of my Triforce part? And it improves my healing again?" He inferred from the words of the inn keeper.

"That would be correct," the Gerudo nodded.

"You also want to say, you have nothing to do with my accelerated healing at all?" Link asked further. "Because I remember you mending my arm pretty fast a few years ago..."

The huge man scoffed. "Certainly not. I wouldn't forgo the opportunity to nurse you. It has an exquisite taste to it, having you as a patient, weak and dependent on me. Now, drink your tea. My inn soon will be crammed with people who want hot stew, fresh bread, beer, and music. You should hurry if you want a good spot."

Link set the tea aside and got out of bed. There was a dull ache in his bones, but his head felt clear enough. "I'm coming down in a few," he said calmly. "Is there a possibility to bathe properly? I'm sweaty and could use a wash."

"You will have to make the best of the washbowl, I'm afraid. Bathing time is over and costs extra, by the way. And you aren't even a paying guest," Ganondorf reminded Link only too gladly. The fighter lifted his brows and opened his mouth to give a retort, but decided elsewise in mid-breath. Instead, he palpated his head bandage and unwound it slowly when he found a loose end where he could start from. No use in looking like a ghoul anymore, when his head was just fine. The Gerudo still hadn't left to care for his other guests, but watched Link closely. The sand-blonde hair of the Hyrule warrior had grown out over the last weeks, doubtless a side effect of the travel life. Also, the skin wasn't quite the light shade Ganondorf remembered, but a little more tanned. The bloody cuts on the hero's left cheek were halfway faded already under the dried crust of healing paste. The tunic of the Hylian was stained, and dust had gathered not only in its folds, but also in the thick strands of his hair.

He was about to generously offer Link to wash him, when the man turned and faced him, providing the Demon King with a late answer. "She helped me calling my sword. The woman of my... our dreams." That certainly sounded wrong, he thought. "That's how I was able to summon the Master Sword."

"I see." Ganon switched from idle talk to serious business. He rubbed pensively over his broad, strong jaw and chin. "So as I suspected, she has her ways to reach us. I hope, she's doing it rather sooner than later. It's simply unnerving to be called for and not even know what's it all about. She could spare some more details. This Teneb was happy enough to share all his dark intentions just for a hint of interest from my side. I hope our... 'ally' is similarly generous with information."

The Gerudo smiled widely, as he found Link dumbstruck, his mouth half open around the mug he had once again taken in his hands. He didn't drink but stared at the bigger man with disbelief.

"You aren't serious, are you? Do you mean to say, you played this whole thing? With Teneb? Feigning your interest to get some valuable information out of him?" Link asked incredulously and as he raised another canine-grin from the desert man, he slumped back on the bed, cursing softly. Of course would someone like the powerful Ganondorf, who had fought countless wars, be a tactician for himself. What was really demoralizing was, that he had believed every moment of the charade. Even got worked up about it so much as to initiate a fight despite his desolate state and giving in to a rather philosophical chitchat with the Gerudo afterwards.

Ganondorf chuckled highly amused and got his first real glare from the Hylian. "Ah. I wasn't feigning the interest completely, but it was more of a tactical choice, yes. As I already assured you several times, there is nothing to gain for me in following Teneb. And I was aware of that the moment he dragged us into his netherworld to give his little speech."

Link couldn't believe himself. He really had taken the show at face value. And there he had thought he would be beyond his green rookie years as a tactician and soldier. The Hylian took a deep breath to calm himself. Falling for this little play only undermined his credibility further. And he had already the feeling that Ganondorf didn't take him seriously. Didn't see him as equal. This, however, was of the essence if they really were to travel and work together.

Another low chuckle from the Demon King made Link lift his gaze again. He stood and his eyes flared with frustration. This darn desert bastard was grinding his calmness away, bit by bit! But he wasn't the desperate boy from seven years ago anymore. He had seen more training, more battle, more diplomatic missions. He had matured so much and he knew he could take on Ganondorf. This truth was positively thrumming in his veins. They were on an equal level, somehow.

Link clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay calm once more. He could already see the Gerudo feasting on his little victory here. The golden eyes were glowing with triumph, obviously the other man was proud of his success over Link's imperturbability. The hero didn't flinch back, when the inn keeper drew closer, towering over him with dark delight. "Come on, little soldier. Tell me to fuck off. Give me some of that delicious anger. Call me things. Curse me..." The man provoked the Hylian.

But instead of hot fury, the sky-blue eyes only regarded the man coldly. Link drank up the tea that had cooled down a bit, and shoved the empty mug into Ganon's hands. "I get it. You are not taking me seriously, playing your little games, trying to get some emotion out of me. So let me tell you: I won't play along. Now, oh powerful Demon King.. go and entertain your guests, will you? I am tired of your attitude." With considerable strength, the Hylian gave the Gerudo a firm push. The very one wasn't concerned one bit.

"Sure, I'll go. But I already won this round, hero. Your petty announcement comes to late," he mocked with a soft sneer. "Come down if you feel ready... soon, everything will be crammed with people. You should be quick if you want a good spot. And a mug of beer along with some great food," Ganondorf recommended sweetly, while retreating from the room.

The door closed and Link was left to himself.

He exhaled deeply and shook his head. The dark-skinned man was getting to him, and fast. Instead of following straight down to the parlor, he disrobed and washed himself down properly. He made quick yet thorough work of it and used the last of the water to clean his hair, which he rubbed down with a fresh tunic. The light wool was dyed a simple sand colour and fitted well with his warriors figure. The water and refreshment helped him to calm down considerably, and Link had the time to inspect his wounds. The scratches on his cheek had healed nearly completely in only a few hours time. His chest didn't hurt anymore but deep breaths were accompanied by a lightly tight feeling. Sitting down once again, he inspected the arrow wound on his thigh. It was still there, but by far not as deep as before. The Hylian wrapped the old bandages tightly around it before he slipped in a pair of sturdy but soft-worn leather pants. After that, Link kept sitting. He stared down at his hand and rubbed pensively over the pale Triforce mark. "Will it be enough this time?" He asked in a low whisper. "Will I be prepared enough this time?"

The Triforce didn't respond and so he stood and fetched his purse from his belongings. Maybe there was a chance to win some money in a game. He had always had a good hand in choosing his opponents, and most of the time Link was lucky if it came to games. He made his way down in the parlor, were the seats and tables were already neatly occupied. Rabo was serving drinks and food, earning a lot of ruffling of his already messy hair. The guests were good-willed farmers, travellers and merchants. Some of them seemed to stay here while they were visiting the next market to barter for goods or to sell them. Others just came here to have a good time, Link could see that with a short glance. Over the last years, he had had a lot of opportunities to tune his people skills when drinking with his comrades. There wasn't a bar in Hyrule Town he hadn't got drunk in. Those had been good times, and the former hero smiled.

Then he was spotted by a few men and the called out to him. "If that isn't the messed-up young man from a few nights ago!" A squatty built man with grey-blonde hair and a strong jaw teased good-naturedly and beckoned Link closer. "So... you better? You looked awful, lad," Strong-Jaw looked the Hylian over and a few others raised curious glances.

The warrior smiled softly. "Everything is fine. It must have looked worse than it was. Ganon's care worked wonders," he answered calmly.

Strong-jaw grinned widely. "He's a miracle worker, isn't he? You'll see... his dishes are just what a hard working man needs after a long day, and this root beer..." The man wanted to drawl on, but was interrupted by another guest. "Hard working? You? At least two times a week one of your sheep is grazing in my gardens and I have to bring it to you, you lazy chump!"

The whole table broke into loud laughter. Strong-Jaw at least didn't seem to be offended, but raised his full mug. "To the lazy chumps!" He declared brightly and drank.

The sheep herder then invited Link to sit with them, but the hero refused politely. "Give me another hour. I have to give my horse some attention, or she's likely to throw me at those bandits again."

Laughter shook half the parlor again and the Hylian was allowed to slip outside.

The fresh evening air had a nice, warm scent to it. He could smell the worn down sandstone and desert grass, and some dragonflies were drifting mid-air above the drinking trough in front of the inn. Horses were tied to posts and nickered contently from time to time.

Link turned to the stables and fed an apple to Lato, before he visited Epona. Someone had rubbed her down properly and her stable was clean and cozy. She had been fed and her calmness told him that she had had some free running, too. "Good girl," he said and Epona let him pat her and stroke her flanks. She approved of the apple, rubbing her muzzle fondly against his palm.

The hero took his time talking to his loyal horse, while he took up a brush to give her some extra care. She wasn't a vain lady, but nevertheless she liked being pampered from time to time. When her fur was shining and her hair smooth again, Link bid his goodbye with a gentle kiss to her blaze and made his way back to the inn parlor. After all, Ganondorf had promised a nice meal and beer, as well as entertainment by a beautiful singer. Now, the hero was going to see for himself if the man could keep this promise.


	8. Stories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link has a good time with the townsfolk, though Ganondorf tries to play a trick on him. Amusing stories are shared, and the singer Ganondorf praised so much finally arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Ganondorf and Link belong to Nintendo.
> 
> Hello dear readers and followers!  
> A new, somewhat longer chapter to enjoy for you. I hope you are well entertained!  
> Special thanks go to PaladinDragon from ffnet and underhersky from tumblr. Both of them help me a great deal by betaing my story.  
> Last but not least, thank you to all readers and followers!
> 
> Now go and have fun with the new chapter. :3

* * *

 

Inside the inn again, the Hylian tried to take more analytical look at the parlor and its guests. A few townsmen had opened a game of cards and were playing loudly. Most of the other guests only talked; about crops, the new mayor of town and his wife, they talked about the unfairness of the tax system and exchanged the newest rumors. Women were scattered among the guests, too. Seamstresses, maids, wives and even some young girls, who made an effort to get some glimpses of the blazing-haired inn keeper, if Link interpreted their observation of the kitchen entrance correctly. They giggled, talked about their work, their homes, their families and, of course, their men. "Travelers and townsfolk of every kind mingled throughout the room - he saw a Goron and a small group of seldom seen Orni, two Zoras occupied the corner farthest from the chimney. So far nothing was different from the pubs in Hyrule.

As promised, Link took a seat at the table of Strong-Jaw and his companions. Nearly immediately, Rabo appeared at his side. "So, what d'you want to eat? We have pumpkin stew with potatoes and slices of lamb. We have fresh baked dark bread with butter and cheese. We-"

"Come on, Rabo, little horsefriend! Bring him the spicy stew! And the good old root beer. That's the best!" Strong-Jaw interrupted blithely, wrapping an arm around Link as if they were already best friends. The rest of the table agreed.

The Hylian carefully took away the arm of the sheep herder and nodded in Rabo's direction. "If that's the recommendation, I'll try it." He said smiling. The boy lifted an eyebrow. "You sure? The spice stew is... really hot."

Link shrugged. "I have eaten a lot of spicy dishes in my life. It can't be that bad." The former hero smiled, while his table companions approved of his decision with loud cheers. Rabo sighed. He picked up a few of the empty mugs from the table and listened to further orders before vanishing into the kitchen.

Ganondorf stood at the hearth. The four enormous pots in front of him gave off the most delicious scents and two big broad loaves cooled on a rack on the kitchen table. Rabo entered and rattled down the new orders. "That's five root beer and another pumpkin-lamb-stew, two plates with bread and cheese, and Rickard asks if you'd make him a bread with stoneberry jam." The young man paused. "Link wants the spice stew."

The Gerudo pretty much showed the same reaction as Rabo before: He lifted an eyebrow. His mouth spread in a wicked, malicious smile, one of the kind that was highly unsettling for everyone who knew him even a little. Rabo just snorted. "I knew you would find that amusing!"

He refilled the empty mugs with root beer from a huge barrel. Beverages were his responsibility, while his master took care of all the food orders.

"So, he wants the spicy stew." The inn keeper drawled fondly. The golden gleam of his eyes had a mischievous quality to it. What a great opportunity to hoax his special guest.

The Gerudo took out a bowl and poured some of his vegetable stew in it. Rabo only shook his head and left the kitchen to bring the beer to the guests. Meanwhile, Ganondorf fetched a small vial from his spice rack and tipped a few drops of a red liquid in the bowl with vegetable stew. He stirred carefully, cut two thick slices of the fresh bread and set everything on a tablet. Afterwards he took care of the rest of the order, filling bowls, smearing bread and slicing cheese.

Humming, Ganondorf cut raw potatoes, onions and garlic and prepared some more lamb meat. He waited for Rabo to fetch the tablet. The curly-haired teenager came back a few moments later. He added a glass of milk to the composition, because he knew, no matter what Link might have eaten earlier in his life that he declared as 'hot', this dish of Rabo's master would top it off. By far.

"How many drops did you add?" The teenager asked curiously, and Ganondorf chuckled. "Two," the huge man answered.

"TWO?! He's gonna fall straight off that chair, master! No one gets two drops, you always keep saying that. Oh goddesses... you know, I have to clean up the mess afterwards if he vomits!" Rabo indulged in various complaints, until the Gerudo cut him off. "Enough. He can take it. You poured him some milk, didn't you? Now don't let all those guests wait for their food and go."

"You know him, don't you?" Rabo asked, delaying the moment where he had to bring the spice soup to Link. He hoped the man could handle the poignancy of the dish.

Ganondorf continued stirring the contents of his pots without answering at first. Towering over the hearth, that was a little too low for him, he pondered for a moment. The gold of his eyes became darker, while his face remained illegible. Finally, he nodded. "Yes, I know him."

His protégé could sense a certain graveness in those simple words, but accepted this without asking further questions and lifted the tablet from the kitchen table. The Gerudo left the hearth and positioned himself in the door frame of his holy cooking realm and observed Link, who leaned back in his chair. The hero looked at the glass with milk, then at the soup. His companions cheered him on to eat, but he took his time.

"Come on, Link, don't make us wait! We want to see if you can take it!" Strong-Jaw grinned widely. The soldier had already the suspicion, that the 'spice soup' was kind of a ritual among the guests. Such shenanigans weren't uncommon. Some pubs in Hyrule also tested their new customers with extraordinary dishes or beverages. It never mattered how well you could take them, though, but was alone for the socializing and the fun factor.

However, he had an inkling about this soup. So, Link took a sip of milk at first, smiling apologetically, as voices of disappointment grew loud. "Be lenient with the new guest," he pleaded with a charismatic smile. Ganondorf, who was watching him, snorted lowly. That little green boy knew! And he took the challenge anyway. The Gerudo hid his grin behind a broad hand rubbing over his mouth and beard.

The Hylian lifted the first spoon with soup to his lips and blew on the hot liquid, then swallowed. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the spice kicked in and he clenched his teeth. His whole mouth and throat were on fire. Tears of pain shot into his eyes, and after a few seconds he coughed ferociously. Breathing became harder by the second, while his stomach only kept the contents of that one spoon because the milk had calmed it down beforehand.

Coughing, he bent over, sweat beading on his forehead. His face had become utterly pale, but the Hylian still managed a smile. He could hear the laughter around him, that gained volume with his growing misery.

The whole tavern was laughing raucously by now. Someone clapped him on the back, while a few guests came over and congratulated him for his outstanding courage. Ganon’s spice soup was only for the hardest, men and women alike, they told him. To keep the stuff down was enough proof for them that Link could hold his ground and his little coughing fit had entertained them obviously well enough to really welcome him to their ranks. An effect that the hero had anticipated. He wasn't just a foreign guest, now, but belonged to 'the family' - the only reason to take on this challenge. He didn't doubt one moment that Ganondorf had made it particularly tough for him.

"That is some fun.." Strong-Jaw dabbed at a few tears of laughter from the tail of his eyes. Link continued to fight down the cough and gripped the glass of milk to gulp it straight down. More laughter erupted from the guests, but he took it just too willingly.

Afterwards, women and men gathered around him. They were always hungry for new stories, and now that he had humored them, they wanted to know more about this special guest of Ganon's.

As long as the questions weren't too invasive, Link was happy to answer them. He let the crowd draw from him the story of his clash with the canyon bandits and showed some decent storyteller qualities, as he indulged them with the details of the fierce fight.

Rabo brought another glass of milk, and the Hylian used it to thin out the soup until he could eat it properly. In between the sips, he talked, and when his mouth was occupied, the townsmen and townswomen told him stories of their own.

Rabo continued serving root beer. Though it had no alcohol, it tasted delicious. Tart and malty, with a little sweetness, it was easy on the tongue and good to the stomach. Link enjoyed himself, savoring the company, listening all the while for bits and pieces of information about Ganondorf. He never asked directly, choosing topics that seemed harmless instead. "So, he rebuilt this whole inn? Alone?" That was enough to nudge the people in the right direction.

"I can remember when he came to our town and wanted to have his inn painted. He was standing there, arms crossed, and all bossy," someone began a story. "So he walks right into Malis' house, demanding he should paint his inn, giving off whishes like 'The walls shall be a decent, bleach sand color, and I want the wooden beams in a lush dark brown. The door frames and windows shall get a nice deep-red pattern… I want it done in four days until I return from the market.'," the man tried to imitate Ganondorf's bossy way of speaking, which sent half of the tavern lying on the floor laughing. The person of interest stood in the kitchen's door frame and huffed under his breath, but did nothing to interrupt the story teller.

"Malis was so thrilled to take the request, you know? He seldom gets any, because, you see.. he's actually partly colour blind. So Malis is all pretending to be professional and accepts the order."

Link could already guess where this was heading and had to stifle a laugh.

Breathless, he tried to concentrate on the rest of the story. "Now, four days later, Gan returns-"

"I told you not to call me that!" The inn keeper growled from his position, but was ignored.

"-Gan returns and finds his snugly little inn in a most delicate rose with dark blue wooden beams and violet patterns. You should have seen his face! Most of us were there, because, you know, we knew something like this might happen. We had the fun of our lives!" The man snort-chuckled and the Hylian leaned back in genuine laughter. Ganondorf muttered something about idiots that went mostly unheard and retreated into his holy kitchen.

Link wiped away tears and shook his head. "And you didn't tell Malis he was using the wrong colours?"

"No.. we didn't know the exact order." The story teller shrugged and others nodded. "He always claimed that it was the way Gan wanted it. So we stopped trying to convince Malis otherwise and just waited to see what would happen."

Delighted, Link shook his head again. He could feel that there were lots of other stories just waiting to be told, but before someone could start rambling, the booming voice of the inn keeper rolled over them. "Link! How about you make yourself useful for a while?" The man yelled from the kitchen. The former hero sighed and got up.

"Woah he sounds angry," Strong-Jaw noted.

"Don't worry. He's right, actually. I promised to help him out for a while because he helped me. Now, thank you for the good time. Maybe there is still time to join you later," the Hylian said hopefully. Passing by tables and stools, he trailed his way to the kitchen, and no sooner had he entered, was a fine woven cloth thrown in his direction. He caught it swiftly and saw at once the mountain of dirty tableware.

"Do the dishwashing," Ganon ordered him grumpily. Link set to the task without complaining, cleaning plates, mugs and glasses in the hot water, then drying everything off. There was no talk to be heard, only the typical kitchen sounds of the sizzling hearth, blubbering brew and splashing water. From time to time, Rabo swooshed in, rattled down orders, filled mugs and vanished again.

There was a constant stream of incoming dirty tableware, so Link stayed occupied for quite a time, until the kitchen officially closed to food orders.

As the hero set down the last plate carefully on top of a stack, Ganondorf drew closer. "So, you are gathering information about me," he remarked.

The Hylian played innocent. "What do you mean? I only listened to some stories."

The inn keeper snorted. "As if. Do you think I didn't recognize you nudging them into a certain direction with their stories?"

"I don't understand what your problem is, Ganon. You were the one who enabled this in the first place," Link retorted.

Now, Ganondorf played innocent. "Please?" He drawled.

The former hero huffed lowly. "You not only let me do your little welcoming ritual, no, you made it especially challenging. That's why the people opened up to me. If you don't want to get caught doing your shenanigans, teach Rabo how to keep a straight face. I know this 'spice soup' was a little spicier than it should have been, it was written all over his face."

The sky-blue eyes looked straight up into the golden ones of the huge man, who was glaring right back. Over such a trivial matter, Ganon wouldn't lose his temper, Link was certain of that. But the man did look slightly annoyed, bowing deeper to the Hylian, growling.

Finally, the Gerudo simply smiled approvingly, the anger suddenly dissipating, and chuckled. "Well played, hero. Well played." He grinned amused. "Some rascal you are." Straightening up again, he sighed. He had to admit not having given much thought to this whole ritual in the first place. He'd played his little prank without thinking through the consequences – mostly because he had underestimated Link. The Gerudo hadn't even considered the hero could want to spy on him. He wasn't opposed to the hero listening to funny stories about him. Ganon just didn't like the intention behind it.

Here he was, that once green boy, skillfully manipulating his guests into telling him all they knew about their inn keeper. The Gerudo was a little impressed. Maybe he should start taking the young man more seriously. "You always have been a people's person." The huge man muttered.

"I wouldn't know that. But for this lifetime, it's certainly true. And I honed my skills in your absence. If you want to play games, that's fine with me. But don't think I would overindulge you. You're not the only one who can play pranks." Link stepped around the inn keeper and draped the drying cloth over a lone kitchen chair.

"Hear, hear."The big man mumbled. "I'm shivering in fear." His mocking grin was nearly evil. "Don't speak challenges you can't make true, little hero." Link lifted an eyebrow. The glance he shot at the Gerudo said otherwise, but he kept silent.

"She's here!" Rabo slid in the kitchen, preventing any further comment, and he had glee written all over his face. "She's here, master!"

The inn keeper brightened up significantly. His eyes brightened in colour and his teasing demeanour was replaced by poised charisma. Instantly, he forgot the little verbal exchange with his Hylian guest. He straightened, combed back his thick, braided hair with his fingers, and took off the apron. The black dyed cloth hadn't even caught Link's attention till this very moment. Under the apron, Ganondorf wore simple clothes. Dark red trousers and a black tunic that had red patterns around the edges.

But at least the tunic had to be custom-made. No regular tunic would fit the Gerudo with the enormous shoulders and the muscle-thick chest. Link tried to give not too much attention to the stature of Ganondorf, but found himself studying the man nonetheless. Alone out of the curiosity of a fighter and tactician it was utterly useful to know the range and abilities of another.

Goddesses be blessed that the Demon King was much too consumed with the arrival of his newest guest to notice Link's analyzing stare. "Finally!" The inn keeper said and left his kitchen for the first time this evening.  
Rabo rolled his eyes. He filled another batch of mugs for the guests, clearly taking his time. "You better go an get yourself a good spot. She has quite a reputation, you know?"

"Ganon mentioned something." Link nodded. "Is this the first time she is coming here?"

"No." Rabo answered. "She visited once, when we opened the inn. She was travelling through the canyon and her horse was too exhausted, so she stayed here several days and my master made good use of her voice. I mean.. she sang. The people are fond of her and her songs. It didn't take them long to find out, she was here and before we looked, we had a full house every night. That was a good start for us." The teenager smiled while remembering. Link studied the bliss on the face of Rabo.

"So, you are with Ganon since before the opening." He concluded softly. Rabo shrugged, and kept silent. Link expected the boy to plunge into another story, but obviously this was nothing to share with near-strangers. So he didn't force the topic. Instead, he helped the younger one fill the mugs and together, they carried them to the thirsty guests.

Cheers grew loud, as Ganondorf led a tiny woman into the room. She was about ten years older than the Hylian himself, and despite a few wrinkles around the mouth and eyes, her face looked still fresh and young. However, silver streaks already wove through her light brown hair. Tugged softly in the crook of her right arm was a simple wooden lyre, stained with use, the intricate patterns in its dark arms already worn-out. She smiled as Ganondorf appeared and took her hand, kissing her knuckles with utmost fondness.

"Oh come on, Gan! You old charmer, don't hold her up now! We want to listen to her newest songs!" Someone shouted, and while most of the men whistled or tried to tease the inn keeper, many of the women kept silent and watched the gesture with a certain pout on their faces.

"Now, now, the night air is cool, will you let me warm up a bit first and drink and eat something?" The woman scolded the guests good-naturedly. She went to a small table near the fire, that had been cleared for her only, and draped her cape around the back of the chair. Carefully, she set her lyre on the table and smiled heartily. "I have been looking forward to this pumpkin-and-pork stew for weeks! Don't spoil it, will you?" Her voice was steady and clear, and no one complained further. Quite the opposite happened: The guests brought her something to drink, saw to the fire so it was warm in her back and welcomed her as if she was part of the family. Link found that intriguing. For someone who had only stayed a few days a few years ago, she certainly had made it into the hearts of her audience here.

The Hylian claimed a chair in the corner of the room, furthest away from all the ruckus, and observed.

He still didn't know her name, but the woman was nonetheless sympathetic. She had a smile for everyone, and listened to the stories the townsfolk had to tell. Good for him, too. There were a few special pieces that included a particular inn keeper. The very one served the singer the dessert with graceful pride, and she laughed.

Link rubbed his temples. This was almost too much to bear. He appreciated the peaceful and harmonic atmosphere here, but Ganondorf's fawning over the singer was such an awkward sight. Just like seeing him cooking things. The hero found it hard to combine the different pictures of this man. On the one hand, he was charming, playful and calm, on the other he was dark and dangerous and it was easy to raise his temper. He could be nice, he could be evil. Always picking the one he preferred.

"Are you racking your brains again, Link?" The man whispered, standing right in front of the Hylian. The soldier frowned. A few seconds ago, Ganon had been away a few tables, and suddenly he was here? When the Hylian looked around, none of the guests seemed to have noticed that.

"Are you trying to impress me again with your tricks?" He asked back, but eyed the bowl with sweet cream in the hands of the inn keeper. That made the Gerudo laugh. He put the bowl on the table and shook his head. "I could impress you with various other skills of mine, but sneaking up on you is one of the funnier things to do. Yet. Enjoy the show and bring the bowl in the kitchen afterwards." Ganon said and mingled with his guests. Now that no food was served anymore, he shared stories and listened and simply seemed to enjoy the company. Meanwhile, the singer finished her meal and prepared everything on the small stage that was crammed into another corner of the room. She only needed a chair and a small table. Rabo brought her water, so she could keep her throat clear and wet.

When she finally took up her lyre, Ganondorf got up and harrumphed loudly.

"Dear guests, for those of you who are still unfamiliar with this beautiful lady, I am introducing the famous travelling singer Lariana with the Silver Tongue. I am very proud to have her here at my humble inn." He assured and she dismissed his newest gallantry with a slightly amused smile.

After the initial applause, Ganon sat down again, and Lariana strung the first tunes. A lovely melody soon floated through the parlor, calming even the loudest among the guests, enchanting everyone. Then, she began to sing. Of far away woods full with live. She sang of the oldest trees with strong roots, of deer and wild beasts, of owls and rabbits. It was all so crystal clear, one could nearly see it right behind closed eyes. She was taking her audience also through the hot desert sands, to ruins long forgotten and civilizations lost. She told the story of a city in the sky, floating and dancing among the clouds, drifting through the endless blue and yet never budging from its place.

Link found himself soon entangled in her music, voice and words. He leaned back and closed his eyes, letting himself get carried away. When exactly he had fallen asleep, he couldn't tell afterwards. The music wrapped him in a cocoon of warmth and strength, lulling him to sleep so fast, he didn't notice the difference between imagining the places from Larianas songs and his own dreams. They were sweet dreams, peaceful and picturesque.

"Link. Link wake up, will you?" It was the rumbling, deep voice of Ganondorf, that made the Hylian open his eyes again. He jerked awake and sat up. The room was empty, safe for the inn keeper, Lariana and Rabo. She chuckled silvery at the confusion in Link's face. Puzzled, the man looked around, only to find tables and chairs neatly lined up again, the fire halfway burned down. Rabo was grinning widely at Link. Had he been really so soundly asleep to miss the leaving of so many guests? He was a soldier, trained to be alert, so the ruckus of the townsfolk leaving should have been more than enough to wake him.

Ganondorf sighed. "I guess, you needed that. How do you feel?"

How he felt? Link frowned, listening into his own body. He felt...

"Calm. And rested. Sound." The hero answered finally, and Lariana nodded. "You are resonating quite well with my songs. Their call to nature is lost to far to many of my listeners, even though most of them feel _something_. But you took to them very strongly. It helped your body remember how to heal faster."

"Magic again, hm?" Link mused and slowly got up from his chair. Lariana shook her head. "It's not so much magic as... well. This power to naturally invoke the healing process, the power to dreamheal is given to everyone, but unfortunately, most of them have forgotten." Now she sounded sad. And old. But she smiled again soon, and took up her cape from her chair.

Ganondorf presented her his thick underarm and Lariana laughed, hooking her arm in his in a delicate fashion. She was ridiculously small beside the Gerudo. He bowed down a little more, looking into her fine, brown eyes.

The singer sighed. "Before you ask, yes, I will stay a few days. Isn't your famous storytelling night two days from now? I wouldn't want to miss that."

"You tell stories?" Link asked, and Ganondorf shrugged. "Well, I happen to know a few, and the people seem to like my way of telling them. It's improving the income, so I won't complain." But behind those practical words was something else. The Hylian couldn't get it at first, but after a moment, he believed to sense the Gerudo's deep pride in his talent. Link smiled and folded the blanket someone had wrapped around his shoulders. He set the bundle down and snatched the bowl from the table. His spirits were lifted, and a new kind of energy thrummed in his veins. Before vanishing into the kitchen and then into his chamber, he had the manners to bow to Lariana. "Thank you for your exceptional performance. It was a pleasure to listen, and I am thankful for the healing, Mistress Lariana." She chuckled and touched his shoulder softly. "The pleasure was all mine, Link."

He smiled widely at her, then bid the other men also a good night and after bringing his empty bowl - when exactly had he eaten the cream? - into the kitchen, he climbed the stairs with ease. When he peeked back from the first landing into the parlor, however, he could see that Rabo was already gone - and Ganondorf leaned down to Lariana, kissing her passionately.

Link had thought as much with all the ingratiating behaviour of the man. Feeling like an intruder, he retreated silently up the stairs and into his room.


	9. Warnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The days at the inn are peaceful ones, passing by swiftly, but Ganondorf and Link already know it cannot last forever. The evening of story telling arrives fast, and with it a quite unpleasant turn of events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Link and Ganondorf belong to Nintendo
> 
> Hello again!  
> Finally, another chapter is finished. It's a longer one and shows more of the peaceful life in Ganondorf's inn, along with an unpleasant turn of events.  
> I hope you can enjoy this as much as I did. :)  
> From this point, I will have to do some research and outlining. This means, the next chapter might take a little while longer. But it's essential for me to have a rough plan how this will continue. I have some things on my mind for this story, but I need to mull over them a bit.
> 
> My special thanks go to PaladinDragon and studiorat for betareading and improving my work a great deal! Thank you very much!  
> Check out studiorat's tumblr account for exceptional art on the Legend of Zelda genre.  
> Also thanks to all of you followers, readers and of course reviewers. :)
> 
> Also, if you are interested in additional snippets of information about the fanfiction (art, sidestories yet to come, background facts to the environment and characters - it's a growing section), I recommend to look into my tumblr blog under the name bartkartoffeln.  
> I am also open for questions, be it here or on tumblr.
> 
> Now have fun!

* * *

 

The night went by quietly, as did the next days. This was relaxing and disturbing at the same time. Neither Teneb nor the dreamwalker showed up again, and while Ganondorf dismissed Link’s worries with multiple shrugs and comments like ‘Maybe they just reconsidered their plans’, the Hylian wasn’t becalmed so easily. More than once he retreated into the magical cave where Ganon showed him his first magic lesson and tried to meditate. He called for the dreamwalker, for the female voice in his head, but nothing happened.

When nothing emanated from his efforts, he switched to trying out magic instead. Link managed to call forth his sword two times, but never found out how or where to send it back. He didn’t ask the Gerudo, though. The man was occupied fawning over Lariana, and if he wasn’t fawning, he had tons of stuff to do. Going to the market for supplies, doing repairs, cooking, preparing… At least he hadn't played another prank since the one with the soup, so Link refrained from returning the 'favor'.

Instead, he helped where he could. He was healed up neatly after all and welcomed the exercise. He chopped wood and tended to the animals of the guests as well as Epona and Lato. Rabo eyed him him often, but after his first question hadn’t gotten him old stories about Ganondorf, he ceased to ask Link further questions about their common past. Sometimes, Rabo asked after the soldier life or life in Hyrule and whant the inns in this other country were like. The former hero explained everything patiently and shared some stories from his days as General and diplomat. The young man with the dark, wild hair was like a sponge, taking every bit of information about foreign culture and life eagerly. The two of them grew closer in those days, close enough that they were beginning to be friends.

When Link wasn’t chopping wood or helping in the stables, he did whatever Ganondorf assigned him to do. The Hylian had lived alone for a long time, so he was deft at repairing diverse things.

Lariana asked him if he could carve new patterns into the arms of her lyre, which he politely declined. The instrument was far too dear to the singer for his simple carving skills. The woman seemed a bit disappointed, asking him once more, this time more pleading. Link didn’t understand why she wanted him to do this so badly. Other carvers were far more professional, and she certainly had the coin to afford their services. But the former hero gave in he found himself time to sit down and fulfill her wish on a sunny afternoon..

Outside the inn, the Hylian entered the herb garden that was situated to the inn’s left side through a low iron gate. Technically he could’ve just jumped the low wall that divided the garden from the inn’s forecourt, but it seemed more proper to use the gate. In the back wall was another iron gate leading to the shed with the tools for the garden and for repairs on the house. The scent of mint, honeysuckle, wild basil and thyme drifted through the air, accompanied by citrus fruits and the smell of pepper plants. At the head end of a bed of pumpkins, tomatoes climbed a trellis that leaned against the inn's wall to the right. Poppy thrived beside it, the red leaves adding a nice colour to the picture. A potted orange and a lemon tree were in the corner where the sun heated the ground and walls longest. Rabo had explained that Ganondorf had taken great care to not line up plants in the same bed or neighbourhood which tended to suffocate each other. The plants and vegetables were structured very accurately, the garden laid out most effective for the different needs of its vegetation. So had the mint been put in the shade, the tomatoes in the sun, as well as the citrus trees. Bigger plants shielded more delicate ones from stronger wind. Those with roots attractive to animals were potted for protection. Rabo had explained that Ganondorf had taken great care to not line up plants in the same bed or neighbourhood which tended to suffocate each other.

Link took a deep breath, inhaling all those intricate odors, musky, fresh and herbal. He passed by the sage and rosemary, claiming a small bench for himself, that stood right beneath a crippled tree in the left rear corner of the garden.  
After taking in the peaceful, familiar atmosphere of the herb garden once more, the former hero let his fingers trace over the instrument, feeling the smooth surface of the wood, pondering what ornaments he should carve into it. Now that he held the lyre in his hands, he could see its beautiful texture. Link surmised the wood to be ebony. It was rather dark, but the outer side of the arms showed honeygold figure like it was typical for that kind of wood.  With very much care, Link took his knife and set to the task ahead, adorning the lyre’s arms and backside with new, fresh patterns, winding here and there. Intricate leaves and vines mingled with beautiful flowers. It was surprisingly easy. He just followed the flow of the wood, cutting and scratching, not even thinking about what exactly he wanted. It was like being in a trance, calm and centered. Was someone calling his name?

Blinking, the Hylian put down the knife after what seemed only minutes. The sun told him he had been at it for two hours. Irritated, the man caressed the new carvings with a thumb. When had he made a Triforce into the wood? But there it was, right on the backside of the lyre, where the patterns joined in the middle.

Feeling uncertain, Link touched the holy mark. Heat shot through him. Jerking back, the lyre burst into flame, fire licking into the air. Behind him, the crackling of flames sent its hot breath over him like a wave. He jumped from the bench and turned around in alarm. The inn was burning.

Horrified, the hero opened his mouth to call for help, and rushed forward to the inn, attempting to save those who were inside.

He hadn't finished the first syllable of Ganondorf's name, when the fire and its heat vanished into thin air.

The Gerudo appeared in the main entrance, frowning. "What?" He asked impatiently, looking bemused at the former hero. 

Link was pale, and his eyes were dark as if a storm just had torn the clear blue of them. "I saw fire." Link managed to say. "Fire everywhere. The lyre, the house.." He looked down on his hands. The one that he’d touched the Triforce with had begun to throw blisters. Without another word, he showed it to Ganondorf. 

The inn keeper clenched his teeth.

He shook his head in earnest and cursed under his breath. Snorting, he went back to his hearth, leaving the Hylian behind without any comment. This whole thing was going down faster than Ganondorf wanted it to. So he sought refuge in his kitchen, brooding. He had hoped for a few more days time to prepare for whatever journey might wait, to give the inn into capable hands while he was gone. Up to now, the Demon King hadn't even fathomed how much the inn - and everything that had come with it - really meant to him. Now that the time had come to leave everything behind, he was not amused.

When he felt Link’s presence in the kitchen door, he glared obstinately down on the meat he was cutting. “We’re leaving tomorrow.” The Gerudo growled in a low voice. His anger was like a solid wall, his whole posture meant to frighten and intimidate, but it couldn’t scare off the Bearer of Courage. Of course. 

“Leaving? So where would we go?” Link asked sternly. “Unless, you do know more about all this than I do.” 

“I don’t, but we can’t stay here. Your little experience there was a warning. An ill omen. Or a threat, I don’t know, yet. To ignore it would be stupid." Another harsh growl slid from the lips of the inn keeper. His knuckles had turned white from clutching the knife hilt so hard as if he was ready to kill someone. He shifted the knife handle in his fingers and rammed it into the meat and the thick wooden chopping board. It split neatly in half, leaving the knife stuck in the table's surface. 

Blood oozed from the meat, dripping down the edge of the tray and on the floor, where it turned black.

The Hylian stared. _Drip. Drip. Drip_.

The black puddle on the floor widened, expanded and when he looked down at his feet, the liquid licked at his boots already. His absent mind must have been written all over his face, for the Gerudo looked at him in slight alarm.

"Link? What are you seeing?" Instead of anger, an almost vicious calmness filled the voice of the Demon King. The hero cleared his throat, he kept his tone even. "Blood. There's blood dripping from the meat to the floor... it's red at first, but turns black down there." He explained. 

"Another warning so soon." Ganondorf murmured. He pinched his nose bridge and new anger rose in him. "Damn them all. I'm not gonna budge here before morning. They can throw those visions as much as they want, this is MY life now, and I will get a proper good-bye this time. Let the world burn another day, I don't care. Who knows if they even need me." The Gerudo plucked the knife from the table's hold and fetched another chopping board.

"Coming from the powerful Demon King, that isn't a very encouraging statement," Link mumbled under his breath. The inn keeper glared at him and snorted. "You should be glad I'm not gearing up yet. Because if I do, the idle times will be over, and I cannot imagine you will like the hardened, ruthless me better than the tame inn keeper. And don't be mistaken, Link... if this gets serious enough for me, I will go all out and drag you along if need be. For the greater goal, I can make hard decisions without hesitation. So better enjoy yourself while you can and don't mock me." The huge Gerudo had spoken in a low voice, but it was nevertheless vibrating with force, leaving no doubt about the sincerity of the man. Link sighed.

A fight would bring them nowhere, so he decided to change the topic. "Where can I find Lariana? I want to return her lyre to her." 

"She's probably sleeping in my rooms. Just follow the corridor to the storage room and take the forbidden door. But don't wake her. She likes her afternoon naps." The huge man grunted.

Link frowned. The 'forbidden door' was actually a very simple, unimposing door somewhere in the back of the building. He’d never given it any thought, and accepted that Ganon didn't want him to peek around there - something the man had made clear before. Link had, however, wondered where the rooms of the inn keeper might be. Now he knew. But he didn't know what to make of the offer to enter them. Why would the Gerudo not only let him enter his rooms, but also risk him waking his much valued Lariana? That didn't make sense. But he would not let the opportunity to take a look at those rooms slip by.

So instead of asking the Gerudo's motives, he silently slipped out of the kitchen and crossed the parlor to reach the corridor on the other side. Passing by the storage room, he turned around the corner and opened the 'forbidden door'. Its knob sent a tingling feeling through his fingertips, jolting up into his shoulder. Link guessed it to be some magic that prevented unbidden entering.

Now it opened without sound, revealing another short corridor. On the left, a door half ajar revealed a small room with a few shelves, a cupboard and a bed. The Hylian surmised this was Rabo's little chamber, so he went on. The next room on the left opened into a spacious bathroom. Its walls were tiled with slightly rough stone, having a sandy texture, but the floor was warm, polished marble. A huge basin was embedded into the floor of the left corner, big enough to let several people bathe at the same time. Everything shared this creamy sand-colour, ornamented with red-black patterns here and there, winding in an intricate matter around curves, edges and walls. The hero only took in the view while passing by, not pausing more than a few seconds.

Finally, at the end of the corridor, Link found a door that looked ancient. The wood was a very inconsistent shade of ebony. Its surface was smooth and oily, and the little daylight that illuminated the corridor in this corner gave the door a tarnished sheen, revealing archaic patterns faded long ago. The brazen door knob had the form of a beastly boar with rounded horns. To turn it, one practically had to lay the fingers between the horns on the head of the boar.

Link took a deep breath to shake off the sudden feeling of pressure. Very, very carefully, he turned the bronze knob and opened the dark door. When it swung open, it didn't make the tiniest sound. The room behind however was nothing like the gloom of its doorway. It was light, airy and two windows on the right allowed in the sunlight. From the ceiling dangled multiple wispy dark veils, concealing a clear view of the rest of the chamber, even though they were semi-transparent. They dominated the entrance area, flowing in the slight breeze of an open window. Link stepped through the soft barrier of fine gauze, trying to take in the exotic flair. The floor was a very dark, polished wood - the furniture partly sandal wood, partly cypress, crafted in an antique manner yet with simple elegance. The lighter wood complimented the dark floor and the bleached-sand coloured walls. A chimney stood in the rear left corner, as did a very comfortable looking, voluminous chair and a chaise longue. The wall to the chimney's right was painted with an overwhelmingly vivid mural. It stretched all the way back to the door where Link had entered. The hero paused, marveling at the scene. Planted right in the middle was the Triforce, glinting in the light of the room. Whoever had painted the mural had used a very unusual rose-gold. It made the Triforce look like it reflected the flames that spread on the left side of the mural. There, the dark and menacing figure of a man lured. His mane was pure fire, his muscled but stylised body wore proudly its coat of scales. Under his feet the earth turned to ashes and lava, and lightning filled the grey sky behind him. But his gaze wasn't fierce, it was clearly longing. Longing for the Triforce and its power, he had stretched his hands to reach the golden force.

On the other side of the Triforce, a beautiful woman with silvery hair waited. Her face was gentle, and her hair turned into rivers, her bright dress wove the trees and the grass and the land beneath her. The sky was the colour of her eyes and her arms opened in a protecting gesture. She had a soft and warm glow about her, that touched the hero's heart.

The Hylian looked at the mural and felt sad, but couldn't quite place the origin of the feeling. Nothing in the mural was sad. It was a marvellous, breathtaking work, depicting two godlike entities, he guessed. At least the woman could be Hylia, once known as goddess of the lands, protector of life. He didn't know the dark one in the picture, and yet, a sense of familiarity hit him.

Shaking his head, the former hero turned away from the artful painted wall, inspecting the tremendous bed. It was lower than he'd thought, considering Ganondorf's tremendous height. The snug berth was halfway embedded into the floor, surrounded by a flat staircase with two steps that lead to the mattress. More red gauze hung from the ceiling around it, making it a cozy shelter. Multiple blankets and a whole bunch of cushions in purple, red and violet colours were draped around the bed's head. The mattress and the blankets were a beautiful creamy colour. Link would have expected black or red instead, and was a little surprised to find Ganondorf's whole room as a manifestation of good taste. And right there near the edge, curled between a few cushions and half wrapped with one of the thin blankets, lay Lariana.

Link took a moment to study the exceptionally peaceful face of the singer, and her hair spread over one of the cushions. Obviously, sleeping in the bed of Ganondorf didn’t cause her any dismay – quite the opposite. So regardless of the man’s former activities or the deeds of other lives, he was capable of making someone comfortable. Even capable of loving? Link wasn’t sure about that, but he was sure that Ganondorf could at least show true affection.

The former hero went over to the chaise longue, where Larianas other belongings were neatly piled, and set the lyre on a soft cushion.

He was halfway back to the door, moving silently, when he heard the rustling of cushions. Link looked back over his shoulder and saw Lariana sitting up. Her movements were oddly jerky, missing the usual grace and easiness.

" _Hero_." She said softly. Her voice was different, too. It was thin and sounded like from far away, not quite here in the room, yet present. The Hylian turned to watch her. She just sat on the mattress, her eyes not quite awake, while she stared right through him. " _You have to leave. You are in danger here. Take the Demon King and Lariana with you, and go, before something terrible happens. Teneb sends his creatures.._ "

Link stepped forward as if to reach out for her, as her voice began to fade. "Who are you? How can we find you?" He asked.

" _Follow the trail of your dreams. You are a strong dreamer.. follow the trail..._ "

"Wait... we need more details. At least tell me your name!" Link reached the bed and gripped Lariana's shoulders as if by doing so he could hold back whoever possessed her. But he could feel the presence of the other being disappearing. " _Soma..._ " She whispered - and was gone. 

Lariana blinked in confusion, obviously waking up for real now. She let out a small gasp, startled about the closeness of the Hylian. Abruptly, Link withdrew and held up his hands in defense. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I apologize for intruding your personal space." He explained sternly. The singer levelled her gaze down onto her fingers, that were clutching the blanket in her lap. It was clear she wasn't surprised, which made Link wonder just what or how much the singer knew. "I felt another presence inside me. Something is going to happen, isn't it?" She suggested and pushed herself up from the bed. Her naked feet found the dark wooden floor, the elegantly pale skin stark against it. She didn't need to hear the answer, though Link chose to explain anyway. “Just now, someone else was using you as a medium. She warned me something will happen, yes.” 

The woman sighed deeply about this, a concerned frown on her face. She didn’t dwell on the topic. “Is there a reason you are in this room?” She asked softly. The Hylian nodded silently in direction of the lyre. "Oh.. you fulfilled my request." Lariana smiled genuinely happy and instead and took up the instrument, plucking a few strings. A screeching sound echoed through the room, hitting Link's ears with piercing pain. Gasping, he clasped his hands over them and tried to shake off the feeling of pressure. Shocked, the singer stilled her lyre and set it away. "Link, what... what is it?"

"Nothing. Another warning, maybe.. we have to leave, Lariana. As soon as possible. Better pack your things and dress for travelling." The Hylian urged and turned to the door.

Ganondorf was right there. He’d just entered, impatient to know why delivering the lyre was taking Link so long. His hand remained on the knob, his huge form blocking the door entirely. His face betrayed his carefully tamed fury. "And just where do you think you're taking her, hm? Where do you think you're going? And didn't I tell you not to wake her?"

"I didn't wake her, the dreamwalker did. She warned me something terrible would happen, if we wouldn't leave now. I'm going to get my things-"

Ganondorf grabbed him by the shoulder when he tried to leave the room and the Gerudo pushed Link against the wall, using all his force and body weight. Lariana blinked in surprise over so much roughness. The former hero however didn't even flinch. "Let go of me, Ganon. We cannot stay here, damn it!" As much as Link wanted to be calm, his voice now sounded driven and slightly angry. It was certainly not to his liking being shoved around like a toy.

"We will stay until the first light of tomorrow. I told you, I won't budge. I'll get my last, peaceful evening, and neither you nor that dreamwalker nor Teneb will interfere, you get that?" The Gerudo growled down angrily at the other man. His broad shoulders were tense, and the golden eyes alive with sharp vigor. His fingers wrapped around Link's left upper arm tightly, but if it caused the Hylian pain, he didn't let on about it. His former enemy loomed breast to breast with him - or stomach to breast, because Ganondorf overtopped him by at least one head - as Link tried to figure out how to best get out of this cage of muscles.

The singer now cleared her throat softly and came over. She laid a hand upon those of big man's fingers which held Link's arm. "You made your point, Ganondorf. Let him go now." Lariana pleaded gently. So she knew his real name, the soldier thought. What else did she know? Who in all heavens was she?

The questions, never spoken aloud, remained unanswered. But at least the Gerudo loosened his grip and withdrew. In the hero's sky-blue eyes he could find anger and disbelief. "How can you ignore those warnings? You are putting not only yourself in danger, you know? What about Rabo? Lariana? Your other guests and the townsfolk? Is your wish really worth the risk, Gandon _dorf_?" Link asked infuriated. 

The man merely snorted. “Oh please. I’m not ignoring anything. I’m just giving myself another one little tiny day. Don’t be scared, Link. You know I am fairly capable of protecting this house and its habitants and visitors.” With a mocking grin, Ganondorf leaned in closer again, but the Hylian only pressed his lips together in a tight line, calming himself with some effort. The Gerudo didn’t take this seriously. He didn’t take _Teneb_ seriously. With a sidestep Link brought himself out of the other man’s direct space. He suppressed his anger and replaced it with sincerity. For a moment, his gaze flickered over to Lariana, who looked apologetic. "Another evening isn't too much to ask, is it?" She said with soothing voice. The Hylian gripped the door knob tightly, his expression blank. "Don't expect me to lick your wounds if you choke on your words later." He said, mostly to Ganondorf, and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. Inside, he was fuming about this stupid pigheadedness. What a fitting treat, considering the true self of the Demon King was reputedly a giant boar – at least that was what Zelda had told him. Link had never fought against that particular form of the man.

The former hero left the rear part of the house and found himself standing in front of the storage room again. He hesitated a moment, then, after ensuring nobody was around, decidet to help himself to an armful of provisions that were particularly good for travelling. Dried fruit and meat, hard cheese and bread. He even took a few small bottles of preserved vegetables.

Stealing wasn’t his thing normally, but if his visions would really come true, not much of the food would survive anyway. He could still pay Ganondorf later.

Link carried everything into his room, where he made a quick job of packing things up. He wrapped his new provisions in linen and then in oilcloth to keep them dry. He buckled on his sword belt, shouldered his rucksack and one of the saddlebags, and tugged his sleeping roll under the other arm. Grabbing the second saddle bag, there was only one thing left.

With a deep sigh, he glanced down at the Master Sword. It laid right there on the chaise longue. It didn’t fit into the empty scabbard of the sword he’d lost in the canyon, so its edge was bared, reflecting the light of the room. "I guess I'll need a scabbard for you soon." Link murmured. He took the blade with his free hand and made for the stables. In the parlor, two other guests sat and were eating their early dinner. They only glanced shortly at him, not interested in the leaving of a mere traveller.

In the stables, Link met Rabo. The teenager was tending to Lato, rubbing his fur and feeding him an apple. Ganondorf's protégé was flabbergasted when he saw Link marching past him, fully laden with his belongings. "Are you leaving?" He asked instantly, and the Hylian shook his head. "I'd like to, but I guess I will have to wait for your very stubborn, very stupid master." Agitated, the former hero halted in front of Epona's box. She whinnied, then snorted when he opened the door. "Sorry, girl. Can you watch over those things until we leave? I have a bad feeling about leaving them in the inn.."

She rubbed her muzzle lovingly against his neck and Link stashed everything into a corner of her box. Thankfully, the boxes were very spacious, so Epona would still have enough room for herself. Rabo came over, looking puzzled. When Link emerged from the box, Rabo's gaze was asking. The Hylian sighed. "It's going to be tomorrow at first light."

"So soon! He's leaving so soon? He wanted to give the inn into proper hands first.." The young man murmured. He sounded disappointed. Whatever the exact relationship between him and Ganondorf was, they shared a bond. And considering the devastated look on Rabo's face, the teenager admired and loved Ganon. It nearly broke Link's heart. He knew, they couldn't take the boy with them. It would be probably challenging enough to make the journey together with Lariana, even though she obviously travelled a lot and knew how to care for herself on the streets. However, they wouldn't set out on just a simple journey, would they?

"He's coming back. Don't worry. Until then, maybe you can manage the inn? With a little help from the townsfolk?"

The young man sighed. "Maybe. My master will surely give some orders soon.” Link stroked Epona’s blaze and nodded. “I’m sure he will.” He tried to appease the teenager, though the feeling in his gut told him that, whatever the orders might be, they would be useless by tomorrow. After showering his horse with a few more caresses, the Hylian left the stables. The delicious smell wafting through the air told him that Ganondorf probably had returned to his kitchen by now, so Link carefully steered clear of that room. At the moment, the Gerudo made his blood boil far too easily with his irresponsible behaviour, something he simply could not understand. The man was old, experienced, not only in magics and swordplay, but also in the ways the Goddesses. He knew how to deal with enemies and certainly had tons of knowledge. How could Ganondorf ignore such distinct warnings? How could he delude himself and believe, he could just evade an attack because he was powerful? Teneb had surprised both of them once. Did the Demon King really think he could ward off their enemy so easily? Power really must get to the heads of some people, Link thought, rubbing his temples.

For the rest of the day, he avoided Lariana and Ganondorf. Instead, he searched the solitude of the magical cave. Even though this had been the first place to be ‘attacked’ by Teneb, it calmed Link’s mind and helped him to concentrate. After some rest that he’d probably need direly soon, he meditated and tried to call his shining blade a few times. The success rate was, however, not really satisfying. The Hylian wondered if he could just leave the Master Sword here and call it when he needed it. But he would have never taken that risk. He liked the weight of a sword dangling at his hips, the feeling of having a weapon to protect one’s own life and the lives of others. The former hero knew by the fading light in the cave that the evening had fallen, and he made his way back to the inn, thinking about the events of the day.  

Save for the three visions from the afternoon, there hadn’t been another one. Link wasn’t calmed by this one bit, quite the opposite. He was restless, alert and disinclined to conversation, read to leave at a moment’s notice. When he entered the parlor, the sun had already begun to set, and the gloom of the twilight crept over the canyon route. He could hear voices drifting through the air, not only from inside the inn, but also from the way that wound down to the town. Story telling night obviously was a very popular event.

Closing the inn door behind him, the thick air of a room filled with people enveloped him quickly. Due to the cold nights in this area of the country, Rabo had laid a fire in the chimney, and its flickering flames cast a warm light. The oil lamps already had been lit. The atmosphere was as familiar and friendly as the evening before, only that Link himself felt nothing of it. Without being able to grasp what made him feel uncomfortable, he squeezed himself past two benches of townsmen to head for the lonely, empty chair near the kitchen. He leaned the unsheathed Master Sword against it and helped Rabo quench the thirst of the guests by filling mugs and bringing them to the tables. Lots of jokes were thrown at him – most of them had the words ‘spice soup’ and ‘red ears’ in it – which the Hylian received with a smile and a shrug. Sometimes he laughed at something, but the guests soon understood that he wasn’t talkative today. Link ignored questions about his nice sword or what he’d need it for tonight until no one pestered him about it anymore. But he did see the sour looks that the one or another townsman or –woman shot him about his caginess.

The former hero felt sorry, but his head was filled with too many other concerns – one of them being the safety of every single guest tonight – to give the desired attention to them. Finally, Ganondorf stepped out of his holy cooking realm, and cheers grew loud. By now, everyone had a full mug and bowls with little snacks prepared on every table. Due to the event, the kitchen closed much earlier today.

The Gerudo climbed the small stage and sat down on his story teller chair. It was sturdier and wider than the average chairs in the room, covered with black pad; its dark wood had embellishments around the arm rests’ ends.  

With stern expression, Ganondorf looked at his guests, only his amber eyes betrayed the glee he felt. By now, it was totally silent. The light of the oil lamps dimmed down magically until the fire in the chimney became the main source of light. The hearthfire wrought dancing, wavering shadows on the walls. Link shuddered. He sat beside the kitchen door, clenching his teeth in unease. Looking around he made sure everyone was in this room. He checked on Lariana and Rabo, both sat in the first row.

With deep, accent-flavoured voice, Ganondorf began to speak now, capturing his audience in mere seconds. When the story became more agitated, he jumped from his chair, acting out the roles of monsters and men, of ladies fair (those roles brought him mostly laughter and whistling) and heroes full of courage.  Despite listening only sporadically, Link had the irking feeling he knew some of the scenes the Demon King brought to life so masterly.

The Hylian tried to focus on the inn keeper, who was doing admittedly a marvellous job. Just now, he had bared his teeth and growled deeply into the room, his enormous figure having ducked down a bit and displaying his broad back some more while his hair flowed openly around his face, his fingers crooked like claws.

A shocked shriek tore through the growl, and one of the women jumped back from the chimney, her hand clutching the fabric over her heart. Laughter erupted. “Oh come on, Pria, you know that story! No need to be scared of good old Gan!” Rickard teased her. Only - the townsmen choked on their gloating, when the fire began to wriggle out of the chimney, taking the form of a burning man. Ganondorf’s eyes narrowed and he came from the stage, ready to banish whatever messenger or demon of his realms had the nerve to show up right now. No one here knew about his true powers up to now, and no one needed to know ever. He certainly hoped his minions wouldn’t dare to force him into the position of showing off more of his magical ability.

The burning man had no facial features, yet Link could see in an instant the hostile body language. The attack happened swiftly, the fiery thing lunging forward to scorch the woman right before him. The Hylian held the better position between the two. He shouldered through the mass of guests, shoving the seamstress out of the way with a yell. He didn’t remember taking up his sword - but he lifted it now. The glowing blade repelled the burning man. He dispersed with raucous laughter - and a dozen balls of flame. The flame bounced off the sword blade towards the walls, the floor, the people.

The panic was instant. Just like the fire, that inflamed everything as if the surfaces were dripping with oil. Wherever a fire ball hit an object or a wall, it would be set ablaze with roaring, searing flames. They scorched through the room. Clothes and hair caught by the fire would add to the panic and the pain. Chairs and tables toppled, as everyone ran for the main door to flee the inferno. Link was knocked aside and cried in pain, when the fire singed him. Lariana had gotten up from her chair and now headed for the corridor to the backhouse. Ganondorf caught her by the wrist, but she shook her head violently. “The lyre!” She lamented and her small hands slipped out of the Gerudo’s grip. Within a moment, she was gone, rushing down deeper into the fiery death trap.

Link dragged Pria from the floor into his arms, when the other townspeople were about to trample her. They screamed, some of them were burning already, rolling over the floor to quench the fire on them. “Ganondorf, do something!” Link yelled at the man. By now, it was clear that this was not the doing of a messenger from the demon realm. The inn keeper roared, wrath in his eyes, and he summoned his powers to erase this unholy fire. For a moment it seemed the heat would ease up – only to burn brighter a moment later. It nearly looked as if the fire itself was laughing at the Gerudo and his attempt to vanquish it, and when Ganondorf roared at the burning hell around him, it fired sparks and flames at him, adding to the rage of the man.

Link saw to it that the guests left and he also dragged Rabo outside. The boy had tried to save some of the precious things from the kitchen and storage room, a rather stupid undertaking.

Half of the guests had fled the inn and gathered outside. Some of them built a water chain, lifting buck after buck from the well’s depths to extinguish the fire. The attempt was earnest, but to no avail. The fire was too strong and too big.

Ganondorf was still inside, just as Lariana. The former hero took one of the full water buckets and spilled its contents over his head and clothes, then grabbed a scarf from a girl and tied it over his nose and mouth. He lunged back inside, the inferno hot on his skin. “What are you doing? Where is Lariana?” The Hylian cried at the Gerudo, but all he got was a furious glare, more beast than man. Taken aback, Link muttered a curse under his breath. Desperately, he picked up the Master Sword and ran down the corridor, shouldering open the forbidden door, making for the Demon King’s bedroom. Lariana lay on the floor, having fainted from inhaling too much smoke. The fire pushed in on her as if to try to scorch her to death, but something seemed to hold it back. Angrily, the flames licked at her, spitting at her. Link gritted his teeth. The heat was nearly unbearable now. “Goddesses, give me strength.” He prayed and scooped Lariana up in his arms. Having no real scabbard, he had to let go of the Master Sword to do this.

When he turned back, the flames had formed a solid wall, pressing in on him.

He felt dizzy by now, the smoke singeing his lungs and his eyes. He had to escape fast or not at all. Taking a deep breath, he summoned all the power he could feel within him and ran for the window. Including Lariana he leapt forward and crashed through the glass, the shattering pieces reflecting the glow of the fire. He collided harshly with the dirt, buffering the impact for Lariana with his body and rolling above her to shield her from the rain of sharp glass.

Link panted heavily. His skin was hot and he felt as if he couldn’t suck in enough air into his lungs. Light-headed, he lifted Larianas limp form from the earth and got to his feet. He circled the house in a huge arc, only to find the townsfolk still staring at the collapsing building.

Carefully, Link set the singer down on the floor. He couldn’t see Ganondorf anywhere, and hoped direly he didn’t have to save the Demon King himself, too.

Exhausted, the Hylian knelt beside Lariana, wrapping her in his arms. Someone had called for help, and more people streamed in, bringing salves and healing brew, blankets and a contraption to spray the water in a wider area over the house. A young woman draped a blanket around Link and Lariana, and the hero nodded his thanks.

When cries erupted from the people, he looked up in time to see Ganondorf step out of the building, hands curled to tight fists, the expression full of fierce, searing ire. The men and women pulled back from him, shocked by the darkness and the force that was almost palpable. The Demon King marched up on Link and looked at him with a rage, that wasn’t meant for the hero.

Angrily he bowed down and lifted Lariana into his arms, turning to his inn. The upper floors had collapsed and left the structure in ruins. The raging fire wasn’t quenched, no matter the effort of the townsfolk, and finally, they gave up. Link stood up, stepping at the side of Ganondorf. He was a mess, his clothes partly singed, his face black and red with grime and blisters and his hair had forfeited several of its strands. Ganondorf looked nothing better.

He stared at the blazing inn, the inn he had found, claimed and rebuilt with his own hands. The inn he had given new purpose. The inn which had given HIM new purpose. Link could hear the grinding of teeth, the low growl from deep down of the man’s throat. No one took from the Demon King. No one invaded his life like this and burnt down his belongings. No one spit him in the face like that.

At least… not without paying a very high price.

The Gerudo’s grip around Lariana's form tightened.

“This means war.”


	10. Whispers in the dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the dark ruins of the inn lurks unknown danger. Ganondorf faces some of his old demons, making it clear he and Link have to sort out things. And soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Ganondorf and Link belong to Nintendo
> 
> So, new chapter! Wow.. this took forever. But some things just need time. I hope, you'll enjoy it anyway. :)  
> Special thanks go to PaladinDragon and underhersky for betareading and making this all the more enjoyable!  
> You can find PaladinDragon on ffnet and underhersky on tumblr.
> 
> Also many thanks to all you readers and reviewers!  
> If you want to read more about background, thoughts and see some pictures and stuff about WWTFF, check out my tumblr account (I'm running it under the name bartkartoffeln). All optional of course, and only to your own delight. :)

Link took the blanket someone had wrapped around him and stood. His damp clothes caught the cool night breeze, making him shiver for a moment, raising goose bumps on his forearms. Yet he covered Lariana with the fabric to keep her warm. She was still unconscious, the lyre resting in her arms. Her pale face was ghostly in the night, taking on the orange sheen of the fire from the house. The building collapsed slowly, and the townsfolk had gathered around them to watch the horror together with him, Rabo and Ganondorf - a silent demonstration of their affection and support. 

The teenager was like a silent shadow beside his master. As a man grown, he didn’t dare weep loudly, but the tears that ran down his cheeks were a testimonial of his grief. Unblinking, just like his master, he stared at the orange inferno with troubled face. To Link, the disbelief and incomprehension on Rabo’s face was painfully clear. Link went over to him and hugged him softly. “It’s going to be okay. It’s a house, and houses can be rebuilt.” 

“It wasn’t just any house! It was home. It was OUR house.” Rabo lamented, trying desperately to get the better of his tears. 

_Our house_... The words rang strangely in the former hero’s ears. A sudden sadness washed over him, when he turned his head to take in the scenery of the blazing building again. It didn’t feel entirely like his own emotion, more like a very strong echo. He shook his head, trying a smile, and clasped the shoulder of the wild-haired teenager. “Home isn’t always just a place, Rabo. It’s also people. Memories. What you associate with this building will not die unless you forget it. Cheer up, hm? Look, the stables are unharmed at least. So not everything is lost. We can sleep there and tomorrow we will inspect the damage.” 

Rabo nodded numbly. “I’ll go calm down the horses..” He murmured and ran over to the wooden building.

Ganondorf snorted. “Don’t paint the world so bright for him. The inn is gone. There is nothing to do about it.” 

Link watched anger in the Gerudo’s eyes flare and had to fight down his own. What he couldn’t fight down were the words he nearly spat at the Gerudo, the arrogance and defiance of the man piercing right through the hero’s armor of calmness. “This house is burning because you preferred to be an arrogant idiot instead of listening to what I said. He bears the consequences for your actions. So show some decency, Demon King. It’s sad enough I was the one comforting Rabo. It should be you doing that, he’s your friend!” 

The huge man growled and bared his teeth at Link in an animalistic fashion. He wanted to teach him a lesson for speaking in such a disrespectful manner to him and for touching topics the Gerudo didn’t want to think about. The rage from his fight against the flames was still fresh in his veins, making it so easy to lose control. And he might have given in to the urge to do so, if not his care for Lariana, still unconscious in his arms, held him back. 

He very well realized that his fury was directed more at Teneb and himself. He’d have never admitted Link was right, though. Not now, not while he was fuming with the need for vengeance. Ganondorf opened his mouth to reply with something sharp, straightened to full height and teeth all bared, when a sudden rain set in. A heavy, dense rain, drenching everything and everyone within mere seconds, pouring down on them like it wanted to flood the world. The fire destroying the inn hissed. It fought for a few futile moments against the water, then lost – and died quickly. 

The townsfolk ran to the stables for shelter, hoping to stay dry for a while before they had to return to their houses. Ganondorf snorted, looking up to the cloudless sky. Just like the flames, his rage was diminished, turning into annoyance and surprise. 

“At least they show _some_ pity.” He scoffed in a low voice and wove a little spell around them to keep Lariana and him from soaking. He left Link outside his magic field, though. Ganondorf knew this was childish, but he needed to punish _someone_. He decided to thank Link later for saving Lariana – much later, when he would have calmed down entirely - and shoved aside remorse and anger with some effort. The rain helped, it had an almost calming effect. 

The Hylian didn’t notice the act, however. He moved two steps away from the Gerudo, and facing the inn he closed his eyes. Link could feel it. This was no ordinary rain, it was a gift, cleansing and healing bliss, despite its fierceness. The rain was washing away the pain in his face and hands and had nothing to do with real weather. It soaked him to the bones, seeping into his very soul, mending wounds and calming his burnt skin. 

When he lifted a hand to his face, the blisters were gone and the red burns on his fingers simply... rinsed off. Like colour would dissolve in water, they too dissolved and dripped to the floor. He welcomed the reinforced calmness inside him. “Who do you mean with ‘they’?” Link asked, wanting the Gerudo to confirm his own speculation. 

The golden eyes of his former enemy glowed brightly in their sockets, but the fury in them was tamed now. The last of it dissipated when Ganondorf let his gaze roam over Link’s body. Oh, he was still furious about what Teneb had done, and the insolence of Link poking around in his feelings. But as he could not get his revenge right away, he deemed himself compensated for the moment by the Goddesses’ rain and by the very distracting sight of wet clothes sticking to Link’s body. Instead of ranting, the Demon King gave himself over to lighter feelings: Annoyance and demand. He would get his vengeance. Later.

The Hylian lifted one of his brows, deciphering the long glare of the man as a very improper one. He left it unremarked. If a wet tunic could distract the Gerudo from his sulking and fuming, he’d play along gladly. Other options to calm down the man would have been less pleasant.

“Who do you mean with ‘they’?” Link asked again, and finally got an answer. 

“The goddesses sent this rain. I guess they want to show some mercy on me. Or on Lariana and Rabo, I don’t mind. If they really wanted to help, they should have sent the rain earlier, but I am... thankful. To a certain extent.” A cold smile spread over Ganon’s face. 

The former hero rubbed his temples and nodded. He set himself in motion to surround the house.

“Where are you going?” The inn keeper called out to him.

“Fetching my sword.” Was the rain-muffled reply. 

Ganondorf snorted and headed for the stables. There he found his guests and others from the town huddled together, staring in the rain. When he approached, they backed off to let him through the door. None of the townsmen or women spoke. They were still shocked by the dark facet of their inn keeper as well as by the tragic arson. Their faces betrayed a certain anxiety and shakiness. Yet, when he laid down Lariana in one of the empty and clean boxes, they swarmed him worriedly and he nodded a silent approval when a doctor came to treat the singer. 

Ganondorf tried to be less threatening, but after letting loose his anger, this was no easy task. He had already managed to replace his rage by other, less dangerous feelings. Yet the final step back into his good and generous mood would probably take a while. “Everyone unhurt?” He asked a bit rough, and the folk nodded hesitantly. “Where is Rabo?” 

Someone pointed in direction of Lato’s box. The Gerudo bowed over its gate and found the teenager sitting in the corner. He was only half awake, staring at the floor. With a deep sigh, the inn keeper opened the gate and shoved Lato aside. The horse obeyed with a soft snort, making way for its master. Ganondorf ruffled Rabo’s hair, but the young man shied away. 

“I’m not a little boy anymore. I can take this.” He growled. The dried streaks of salty water on his cheeks spoke differently. However, Ganon didn’t say a word about this. “I always forget. The bigger the man, the bigger the fool he can be. Guess today I was as big a fool as I am in height.” He admitted hoarsely. 

This was as much of an excuse and guilty plea as one could get from the huge man. The teenager hugged his knees and rested his head against the wall. “It happens.” He offered in a whisper, closing his eyes. The Gerudo felt the littlest smile tug at the corners of his mouth. He grabbed one of Lato’s blankets and draped it around Rabo’s shoulders. With a clicking of his tongue, Ganondorf told his horse to lie down, so Rabo could snuggle against him. The inn keeper left the box. Questioning, worried faces stared at him, but he just didn’t feel like thanking everyone already. He needed a few moments alone. 

“I’ll go inspect the damage.” The Gerudo therefore said gruffly, taking an oil lamp from a hook on the wall beside the entrance – more a routine, really. After tonight, rumors about how far his magic abilities stretched would spread. No real need to keep up appearances, he guessed. But he kept the oil lamp and decided against a magic light. 

When he stepped out, no one followed him. The rain had ceased down to a drizzle, yet the ground beneath the heavy footfalls of the man was squishy and muddy here and there, the air around him damp and cool. The night was close to pitch-black now without the fire for a light source, so Ganondorf was literally in the dark. Lighting the oil lamp with a mere flicker of a finger, he wondered how the little hero would be able to see anything, let alone find something in a ruined house. 

Once again he couldn’t help the malicious anger rising inside him, the thought of his inn being in ruins making the inn keeper snarl. That Teneb bastard had made this very personal. The fact that the Gerudo didn’t know how to confront the vicious little snake head on to turn him into ashes was just another addition to the list of things that raised his temper. Ganondorf paused in his tracks, taking a deep breath.

He reminded himself that he was past those times where he hot-headedly rode into battle. Way past. As much as he had phases where he loved to lash out with his power, demonstrating his force, leading an army into war and exhaust himself in battles fought with steel, he was far more the strategist by now. He preferred to plan his battles, enjoying the exact scrutinizing of his enemy, exploiting weaknesses and striking where it hit hardest. 

As coldblooded he could be, Ganondorf had learned to appreciate life. Which was the reason for choosing the path with the least bloodshed most of his last lifetimes. Would someone present him Teneb right now and here, however, he wouldn’t guarantee shit. His decency only went this far. 

The inn keeper set himself in motion again, deciding his inspection to start in the rear part of the house. Soon he reached the back side of the inn, where he stared into the blackness of the ruins that once had been his bedroom. The glass of the windows had burst from the heat and made them look like two black holes ready to devour any living thing. 

Ganondorf closed his eyes, sending out his magic to analyze how stable the building was. Not very, his senses told him. Did Link really venture into this death trap? He couldn’t hear any rummaging. The only thing the Gerudo could hear was the soft dripping of the rain. He didn’t re-establish his magic barrier against it, and the drizzle coated his hair and shoulders softly like a liquid blanket. 

He frowned suspiciously and stepped closer to one of the windows. “Link?” The Demon King asked in to the blackness of his former bedroom, lifting the lamp a bit to cast its light inside the house. It danced with the shadows of the night, revealing the blackened floor, the partly burnt furnishings and the skeletons of his bed, chair and chaise longue. In front of the mural stood Link, the Master Sword in his left. 

Ganondorf snorted. Out of a habit he made sure no one was around, then simply shifted through the wall. The shadows had always been kind to him, allowing him to use them as a bridge whenever he saw fit. Being the Demon King had some considerable advantages, even after he had somewhat shed the title and become inn keeper. 

“Link?” The huge man asked again, and again, he received no response. Ganon didn’t like being ignored like that. He came closer, his right hand came forward to wrap around Link’s upper arm – only the inn keeper decided otherwise in mid-air. He grabbed the wrist of the hero’s sword hand instead, jerking the man around. 

The bright blue eyes staring back at the Gerudo were empty. The sword arm twitched. Horror filled the eyes of the fighter. He fought against Ganondorf’s grip feverishly. Lifting his foot, he attempted to kick sideways against the inn keeper’s knee. 

Link’s fist shot forward, aiming for the Demon King’s face. Efficient, but without grace. And too slow. Slow enough for the huge man to avoid both kick and punch far too easily. 

Not in the mood for games, Ganondorf used his advantage in height and mass. He pushed the Hylian back until he collided with the mural. Smashing the hero’s wrist against the wall he broke his grip around the sword hilt. Clattering, the Master Sword fell to the ground, leaving Link weaponless. 

“Don’t make me fight you, hero. It will hurt. A lot.” Ganondorf growled, his voice a low hiss. Raising his temper so shortly after he had barely fought down a fit of rage was a very stupid idea. His grip around Link’s wrist tightened dangerously. 

_Kill him. Kill him now and quench the dreadful light with him... Think of all those hateful encounters with him, all those times he defied you and your wishes.._

The Demon King felt his pulse quicken, the blood lust rising.  He knew, this was not his inner voice talking to him. He knew, those words were meant to manipulate him, make him do something very terrible. The truth within the whisper had faded long ago, his resentment replaced by routine. 

Yet, the memories felt so fresh in his mind, making him ache for blood. For revenge.

Ganon was staring at Link’s face without seeing him. The golden eyes sparked with hatred and vicious intent. So often had the Hero destroyed him. So often had the Hero destroyed his plans. 

Link let out a groan as the fingers around his wrist used more and more force. He tried to stay calm, not wanting to upset Ganondorf further by yelling at him. Somewhere between his struggle with the Gerudo and the loss of the Master Sword, he had snapped out of whatever it had been that had held him. 

Now he faced a very angry, snarling Demon King, confused how they even ended up like this, but he had a guess. “You’re hurting me. The vow is breaking.” The voice of the Hylian, underlined with pain, bit through the inn keeper's growl. “You’re not yourself. Something is wrong here. Ganondorf! Arh-” Link choked as the other hand of the Gerudo fastened itself around his throat, nearly crushing his larynx. The oil lamp fell to the floor and spilled its contents, leaving them in the light of a tiny flame. 

The hero considered his options. He still had one hand free. He could attack Ganon's eyes or larynx... but this was not the way. An attack would only lead to more anger and that would lead to more fighting. Probably exactly what Teneb wished for. The two assets the Goddesses sent to put him in his place were busy killing each other before they had built anything like a team. 

But the Hylian also knew he couldn't die here. "Please, Ganondorf. Snap out of this nightmare! You're the mighty Demon King, Goddesses be damned, you can't just let someone manipulate you like that!"

His gaze fell upon the Master Sword on the ground. Desperately, he tried to call it to his hand. Maybe by piercing the Gerudo somewhere safe he could expulse - yeah, what? What if Ganondorf wasn't influenced by some of Teneb's tricks? What if he just showed his true colors? What if... 

With a roar, the Demon King let go of the fighter and stepped back, furious. Clenching his hands into huge fists, the inn keeper glared at them as if they'd betrayed him. 

Link, who hadn't even noticed he had been lifted from the ground, stumbled and nearly fell, coughing.

"This is my inn, my fortress! How is he doing that? How is he ignoring all my barriers and getting into my mind?" Ganondorf fumed. He had his back to Link, pacing through the ramshackle room. That sneaky bastard, infiltrating his mind. If he chose to kill the hero, it would be out of his own will, and only that! No one dared to twist his mind and lived! 

The hero didn't have an answer for those questions. He leaned against the mural - or what was left of it - trying to process what had happened. Just to be on the safe side, he slipped the tip of his left foot under the Master Sword's blade and flipped it upwards, catching it securely by the hilt with his right hand.

"However he's doing it, it works. If we don't find a way to block him, we will be at each other's throats before we even set out." 

Ganondorf lifted a brow and whirled around to face the Hylian. "You mean that just doesn't count?" He spat cynically. In the dim light of the leaking lantern he could see all too well what damage he had done. Due to a faster healing process, already dark bruises showed around Link's neck. He held the Master Sword in his right hand, and despite letting his left one dangle casually as if nothing was wrong, Ganondorf knew all too well where to look for signs of weakness. 

The Demon King took a deep, steadying breath, forcing himself to unclench his fists. "We should leave here. The building is not safe, and I want to take a look at your wrist."

"It's broken. It will heal. Stay away from me until I'm sure you're not jumping me the next second." The Hylian said, fresh mistrust obvious in his voice. He gave up the mural and went for the window, making a careful, wide arc around Ganondorf.

The man wasn't pleased. Grinding his teeth, he let Link pass by without making an attempt to go to him. Instead he collected his broken oil lamp and followed only when the former hero had climbed out the room in a very laborious way. 

Like before, he shifted through the wall and decided to ignore the hero's order, grabbing him by the shoulder. "Link, let me heal that wrist." He demanded gruffly, trying to soften his words as much as he could. The Hylian shot him a glare from narrowed eyes, but didn't pull away yet. Hesitating, he stretched out his left arm, letting Ganondorf take a hold of it. 

The man concentrated for a moment. Shadows seeped into the broken wrist and mended what had been broken, leaving nothing but an odd prickling feeling. "I suggest we talk about what happened just now. It's surely wiser than sulking around. Obviously, Teneb can get behind my barriers and into our minds. If we want to best him, we have to figure out his capabilities." The inn keeper crossed his arms in front of his broad chest.

Link frowned and rubbed his freshly healed bone. The Gerudo was certainly right. "We should. But I'd prefer a warmer place." The drizzle was slowly soaking his clothes again, and while the night air wasn't really cold, it was cool enough to chill him to the bone when he was wet. The blonde hair had a crown of tiny drops, that glittered in the light of the lamp. Ganondorf's red mane looked similar, myriads of glinting droplets covering it like a veil. 

And for once, Ganondorf wasn't smug about this. With a serious face, the man nodded. "You're right. Let's walk back."

Together, they made their way to the stables. The Gerudo walked closer by Link's side than he needed to, but the hero didn't complain. The warmth of the huge man's body wafted over to him like a very wispy blanket. 

By the time they reached the stables, the hero felt tired enough to sleep on whatever dry ground he could find. Ganondorf gave him a horse rug and nudged him into a empty stall. The Gerudo was calm enough by now to talk to the townsfolk. Some of them were still here, and he told them everything was alright before sending them home. Link had to admit the Demon King's talent in charming the people, dispelling their fears and concerns. Softly, the man assured he and the Hylian would say goodbye before leaving the town tomorrow. 

Minutes later, Ganondorf closed the stable’s doors after the last of the townsfolk finally had left. Rabo snored where he had left him, Lato at his side, while Lariana lay safe under some blankets in her stall. The hero meanwhile had taken off his damp clothes and had hung them over the stall’s door. Naked except for a loin cloth, he had wrapped himself the horse rug and leaned now against the wall. The straw bit into his skin, but he could live with that. 

Ganondorf joined him, casting a speaking look at his dryhing cloths with a wicked grin. Instead of commenting that, Link explained what he’d seen in the wreckage of the bedroom.

"I was standing in front of the mural. I couldn't see anything, but I tried to recall how it looked when I was in your room the first time - and then out of nowhere, shadows attacked me. They gripped my wrist, pulling me to them - I fought back automatically. When I collided with the wall and the shadows smashed my wrist against it, I.. .. woke up." It was obvious the hero didn't know if 'woke up' was the right term. How else could one call this? Broke free? Snapped out of? Was ripped off? 

"You didn't attack shadows, you tried to hit _me_." Ganondorf explained. The inn keeper's eyes darkened, his taut arm muscles flexed when his body tensed. "That provoked my temper again and I got angry - there was a voice in my head that suggested I should kill you. All the memories I have from the times when you killed me swept back into my mind, fresh like yesterday." 

"So you gave in." Concluded Link, a slight reproach audible in his voice. 

Ganondorf snorted darkly. "I did for a moment, yes. But don't you believe it's so simple to walk away from something like this. Unlike you, I can recall a dozen of bad memories from former lives, and all of them are associated with you. Your gaze, your green tunic, your little shiny sword, your young face. Old dreams and plans shattered because of your getting in the way. There were enough times I didn't just despise but downright hated you to the bottom of my black soul." 

Instead of frightened by these revelations, Link looked confused. "So.. why exactly do you try to get me to sleep with you? Is this something like therapy for you?" 

Ganondorf's mouth twisted into a dingy grin. "This is what you find interesting about all this? Not what memories I have or how our meetings usually went, but why I try to get in your pants?"

The hero's face was - once again - a controlled mask of serenity. "Yes. Questions about former times obviously have a chance to trigger dark intentions, so I tried to focus on a present aspect. One, that might interfere with our upcoming journey and with everything that is needed for a solid collaboration." 

Link was all reasonable about this, something that deeply disturbed Ganondorf. In the flicker of the oil lamp, his features were lit in a almost ghostly way, the dark look on his face far more evil than it would be in bright daylight.

"You really should give up on that stiffness of yours, hero. When you chatted with my guests, you were all charming and casual. If you keep your stern face around me, this will be exhausting travelling for both of us. And I would guess the journey will be not an easy one anyway." The Gerudo said, almost softly, shedding the mask of the Demon King for the one of the inn keeper for a moment. 

Link huffed lightly. "I am cautious, and I have every reason to be. You know as well as I do, how wise it is to be on guard around you. We have history, and a few peaceful days cannot wipe away all the animosity in our hearts that easily. So allow me to deny that request. How about you answer my question instead?" The former hero proposed. He knew that Ganondorf had a point there, though. At least, to a certain extent. He would have to loosen up a bit. They were meant to work together, so they would have to get along somehow and finding a middle ground would be a task in itself. 

"I find you attractive. I watched you doing your heroic thing and decided, I like this time's incarnation of the Hero. So I want to lay you."

The blunt answer of the Gerudo sounded like no big deal at all. 

Link looked sceptical. "Just like that? What about all those bad memories, hm?" 

"They are ancient. The times I despised you are long gone, Link. Really, what happened just now was because someone manipulated me. Normally, your sight doesn't even make me look up from a book anymore. Except if you're naked. Like now." Ganondorf made a seemingly bored gesture, but his mouth twitched into a sluggish smile. "I don't need a therapy. Why even? I'm not ashamed for the things I did. I had reasons. It was who I was at that time. Just like you and Zelda get to restart every lifetime, I claim my own. I don't judge myself. If others do, I don't care."

Link listened attentively and guessed everything else would have sounded implausible. The Gerudo might be decent in this lifetime, but that didn't mean, he couldn't be a tyrant or a cruel man. The hero believed Ganon when he said he pretty much did what he wanted to. If he decided to stick the middle finger to the world, the man would do just that. If he decided to be a charming inn keeper and to care for people, he would just do that. 

To say Ganondorf was black-hearted would be a lie. The man like Link had seen him the last days was very much a dark grey. He had good qualities. Link by now believed the man could care. He wasn't the monster the Hylian history books painted so vividly on their pages. After ages and ages, Ganondorf might still be someone you didn't mess with if you weren't the wielder of the Master Sword. 

But the Demon King could control himself pretty well, if he wanted to. And yet.. so dangerous. So hard to read sometimes. And probably a cunning tactician. Before you even noticed, he manipulated you with sweet words. Like now.

The Hylian sighed. This didn't make things easier. 

"Don't worry. I'm not that unpredictable. There are things that can fuel my anger, but you're not one of them at the moment. Unless you really try to piss me off, you're quite safe around me. No need to be on guard the whole time." Ganondorf tried to convince the Hero once more to relax. 

Of course. So what about the multiple times the Gerudo had towered over him, threatened him, smashed him into walls?, Link thought sarcastically. That didn't count in the eyes of the Demon King. Obviously. Not to speak of the influence, Teneb seemed to have on both of them. They didn't know what gave Teneb power, they didn't know how Teneb got a hold on their dreams and memories, they didn't know how to ward off the man. How could Ganondorf sit there, self-assured, telling him he was safe around the Gerudo, when the inn keeper had just moments ago proven the opposite was true? Did the man really delude himself again? 

However, there was truth to Ganon's words, too. Link couldn't be suspicious all the time, that would be ridiculous. There had to be some trust between them. He guessed, talking about things like this was a start.

"I cannot be on guard the whole time, that is correct. There are more important things than my stiffness, though." Link said, changing topic again.

Ganondorf sighed, but he was clever enough to see the problems they were facing.

Teneb had intruded their lives, not once, but thrice in short time, and seemingly without great effort. His spells obviously couldn't guard them against the man, so there was no protection. Given, that Teneb was infiltrating their minds via dreams and memories, this was bad. Their only clues to what was going on were some visions and a cryptic dream. 

"We have to talk to this dreamwalker again." The Gerudo murmured pensively, weaving his fingers into his beard and twisting it. But how?

"She obviously likes talking to you. Didn't you say she sent you a warning? If I send you into a trance, maybe you can reach her.." 

Link frowned. "The last time she talked to me, she was using Lariana as a medium. She explicitly told me to take her with us. Whatever her role, I think Lariana has a connection to Soma."

"Soma? So that is the dreamwalker's name? It sounds strangely familiar.." Ganondorf stopped the twisting and closed his eyes, deep in thought. 

The former hero watched him for a few moments. "Maybe Soma will send another message soon. Her last one wasn't very helpful, I fear." He tugged the blanket tighter around him and stared into nothingness. 

"What did she tell you, Link?" The Gerudo asked, using the name of the other warrior for once. 

"'Follow the trail of your dreams. You are a strong dreamer'. But what trail? I didn't dream anything the last few days. Except for this one prophetic thing we both shared." The man sounded slightly frustrated. This was a puzzle to solve, but he felt like he missed a lot of very important pieces. 

Ganondorf mulled this over for a bit. While doing this, he took his own horse rug and spread it beside Link in the straw. Instead of covering himself, he mainly laid down so that the blanket was beneath his head.

Intriguing, the former hero thought. Why would Ganondorf do that?

"Maybe she didn't mean the dreams you had, but the ones that are yet to come? The trance could help. But if you don't want my magical help, I can give you the best sleep with other means, too. There are herbs for a great tea that helps you dreamwalking. We could also do some healthy and relaxing exercise to loosen you up a bit. I promise, you will have only the best sleep after that." The Demon King's smile was the one of the devil who tried to buy your soul. Dark and persuasive. 

"Not now, thank you very much." Link declined politely. "I bet every single proposition is leading to a night between the sheets with you the one or other way. I just want to sleep right now. Who knows when we will be able to do that again." If he was honest, he feared already Teneb might use their sleep against them. If the man could turn their memories or dreams against them without them being asleep, how much easier would it be if they _were_ asleep?

"So, how about you take a stall for yourself?" 

"Oh no. I'm good here. I am a good inn keeper that keeps his guests warm. Just lie down here beside me, and I guarantee a very comfortable night." Ganondorf replied earnestly. Link's eyes narrowed.

"It's better to get used to each other. We will camp together shortly. The nights get colder soon, so you should prepare for sleeping close together." The Gerudo offered with an innocent smile. 

"Isn't Lariana also your guest? Maybe you should look after her. She will need your warmth much more than I do." The former hero countered. 

"I wove a spell over her, she is fine. Come on, little hero. Nothing will happen."

"Liar."

"Oh, I am. Sometimes. But let me prove to you that I stay true to my word." Ganondorf pointed at the empty space beside him. 

Link fought with himself, but finally he gave in with a low growl. He very much believed he would regret this. But they had to build some basic trust. He was the Bearer of Courage, so who if not him should make the first step?

"Fine. But I think you only want to use me as blanket. Why did you spread yours beneath your head?" he wanted to know and laid down. He kept his horse rug tightly around himself. If the Demon King was freezing, he could weave another spell. 

"Did you ever try to pluck straw from my hair? Not funny, I tell you. So the blanket goes beneath my head." With that generous explanation, the man crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes. 

"You obviously tried it at least once." The Hylian reasoned right away. He tensed immediately as he felt the huge body beside him shift. A bulging forearm pressed into the straw before his stomach, as Ganondorf leaned halfway over him. His warm breath caressed Link's ear, neck and cheek. "Oh I did find out about this some time ago. I would show you, but you already rejected my offer to put you to sleep." The Demon King murmured against the shell of the other man's ear, giving the tip a very short, tender lick with his tongue, not more than a little flick. 

Then, he just withdrew with a dark chuckle, laying down on his own side of the stall everything modest and behaved.


	11. A Ragged Cloak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahoy, dear readers!  
> I am fully aware that this chapter has taken exceptionally long. I am sorry you had to wait this long. The chapter got delayed for several reasons. In case you are not interested in the whys, feel free to skip this and proceed with the story. ;)
> 
> First of all: Sharks and Shackles got in the way, and I had to get it out of my mind first. Then, a bit of life, a bit of lacking creativity, not knowing what I really wanted to achieve with the chapter. When I first finished the chapter, it was end of January. Yes, you read right, the chapter was finished two months ago. It was a very long chapter, too. However, after discussions with one of my two fabulous beta-readers, I saw how.. it just was not good. Too long, too many things unsolved. So I decided to do two steps: First of all, I cut the whole thing into two. Second: I rewrote the first part. Completely. It became this chapter here.  
> It is short, yes. But I am much happier with it like that. Also, I hope the next chapter (still has to be rewritten, but I already began) won't take four months. ;)
> 
> So, here you have it.  
> I want to thank PaladinDragon and StudioRat / underhersky for supporting me and betaing my work! You can find PaladinDragon [on ffnet](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/607450/PaladinDragon), StudioRat has beautiful [stories on AO3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/StudioRat/pseuds/StudioRat). Check them both out, if you like!
> 
> Now go have fun with this short piece of wwtff. ;)

* * *

 

_Link woke nearly with the break of dawn. Despite the short night, he felt sleep slip away soon, leaving him half-awake in the straw. It scratched and poked against the exposed parts of his skin, which should make him uncomfortable. But he felt relaxed and warm, at peace even. No nightmares had haunted him this night, like he feared they would._

_Beside him, Ganondorf's tremendous form lay quiet, the Gerudo's back leaning softly against the hero's. Sounds of the morning drifted into the stables: The chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves, horses’ nickering and insects’ humming._

_The golden sunlight found its way to them through the skylights, painting the dusky stables with playful gold here and there. With a silent sigh, Link sat up. The horse rug slid from his naked shoulders without making a sound. He shed the fabric when he stood, reaching for his tunic and trousers. Before his fingers touched the garment, it vanished into thin air._

_I don't need it, he thought. Stepping out of the stall, his naked feet silent on the ground, he looked around. Dust whirled through the air and settled content on Link's shoulders. Taking a deep breath, inhaling the scents of horse, straw and humid earth, the hero went forward. Out, out of the stables, into the beaming light. It caressed his skin like the touch of silk, making him close his eyes in utmost approval. When the Hylian felt fingers on his shoulders, his eyes snapped open._

_She was right before him, slightly hovering above the ground, her features not more than the play of light and shadow, a delicate etherealness. "Soma.", Link said with a smile. But when he tried to take her hand and kneel before her, she shied back fluidly, retreating a few steps._

_"The trail of your dreams begins here." Her smooth voice sang. "The veil is thin in the cave. Too thin. The Dreamer must dream, the Guardian must guard. Reinforce the veil, break my brother's grip on your world."_

_Soma's voice faded. Link frowned. "How?" He asked._

_"The Dreamer must dream, the Guardian must guard." She repeated. The hero stepped forward, trying to close the gap between them. "Soma, that is not helpful. I need instructions that are more specific, please!" The Hylian begged her softly. What was the veil? What did it do? And how was he supposed to fix it?_

_"I cannot, I'm afraid. This is the way of dreams. Seldom straightforward, seldom direct. I'm sorry. Follow the trail of your dreams. The Dreamer must dream, the Guardian must guard." She faded a bit more._

"Link."

_"So I am the Dreamer. Who is the Guardian? Ganondorf?" The warrior asked, trying to get to his answers with the right questions._

_Soma nodded. She was almost gone now._

"Link, wake up."

_The foreign voice rippled through the fabric that wove the dream. The sunlight dissolved slowly, and the warm ground turned cold. The hero tried to think faster. "So while I fix the 'Veil', he must protect me?"_

_"I will give him the tools." Soma drew closer and her small hand touched Link's torso. Patterns spread. Elaborate, intricate lines and curves sped over his body, encircling muscles and shoulders, burning into the skin of his arms and legs, of his back and neck. Their bluish shimmer lightened the dream once more, but it hurt…_

"LINK, wake UP!"

The thunder of Ganondorf's voice cut through the pain like lightning through the dark of a storm. Gasping, the hero opened his eyes, emerging from his subconsciousness. He was panting hard. Blinking confused, the hero tried to shake off sleep. Strong arms had him in a death grip, back to chest, against a hard body.

"Finally." The Gerudo's voice was gruff, rumbling through Link like an earthquake. The Hylian automatically fought the strong hold on him, struggling a few moments longer before he tried to let go of the tension that still made him cramp. It was not easy to conquer his warrior instincts. Mostly, because he and Ganondorf had a history. Regardless how much or less he remembered, Link supposed.

But he was not in danger. He was safe. This was not aggression against him.

Slowly, he willed himself to relax, despite the alarming feeling the grip around him raised. He breathed, inhaling deeply.

Before him, the whole stall was a mess, the straw scattered, undoubtedly kicked up a short time ago. The blanket lay covered in straw, one corner still halfway tangled around Link's right foot. Rabo and Lariana sat close to the door, looking at him worriedly. Their faces were as pale as he himself felt.

He was exhausted rather than rested, the arms of the inn keeper around him making him uncomfortable. Except for the loose loin cloth, he was naked - that, however, was the least of his concerns. "You can let go off me now.", Link said, sounding a bit shaky but calm.

For a few moments, nothing happened. Finally, the iron grip loosened up and the hero fell the short way from Ganondorf’s arms to the ground on all fours.

"Are you alright? You acted strangely in your sleep." Lariana's voice made Link look up.

"Strangely how?" He asked.

Ganondorf snorted. "You wanted to leave the stables. So I caught you and brought you back. Then you started to kick around and struggle like a wild thing. No matter what I tried, you wouldn't wake up. It's time for an explanation."

The Hylian frowned at the demanding tone. Sighing, he picked up the blanket and wrapped it around himself. Partly out of decency in front of Lariana, partly because he was cold. Making himself a bit more comfortable, he leaned against the wall and faced the Gerudo.

The very one crossed his thick arms before his chest. Straw covered him here and there, and lots of it got tangled in the red hair. So much for keeping the hair straw-free, Link thought. Success looked different. Rabo shuffled closer, impatience glowing in his eyes.

Link sighed, collecting his thoughts. "I met Soma in my dream. She said 'The Dreamer must dream, the Guardian must guard'. As far as I understand, I am the Dreamer and you are the Guardian." He looked at Ganondorf.

The Demon King raised his prominent brows above darkening eyes. "I am no Guardian."

No, Link thought, the man was a lot of things, but never did he imagine the Gerudo as protector or guardian.

"Soma told me 'The Veil is thin in the cave'. I don't know what this Veil is, but I think she means the cave behind the inn."

"And, are there any useful things she told you? I only hear riddles over riddles. Not very helpful from someone who sends us onto a dangerous mission. Not very trustworthy, either." Ganondorf grumbled.

The former hero had to admit that Soma's behaviour wasn't always helpful. She did guide him into calling his sword once to fight off Teneb. The rest? Warnings and riddles, just like the Gerudo said. And...

"She also covered my body with patterns, claiming they could help you protect me."

"I don't see any. And you were showing quite enough skin for me to be able to tell."

"Well. He did get the patterns in a dream. Maybe a dream is necessary to show them?" Lariana proposed softly, making both men turn their heads. Sternly, she caught Ganondorf's gaze. "Or you need to cast a spell to reveal them?"

"Oh, master! You haven't used real magic in a long time." Rabo grinned excitedly, looking from Link to the inn keeper and back again.

The Gerudo narrowed his eyes, focusing the hero. He scratched his beard pensively, then shook his head. It intrigued him mightily what patterns this Soma woman might have chiselled on the Hylian's body. Yet, magic required attention and a rested mind.

None of them really had slept well. Lariana was still pale, her hair a mess and she had dark rings beneath her eyes. Rabo seemed lively, but over the loss of the inn had cried half the night. In reality, the young man was tired. Link might have slept till morning light, but Ganondorf saw all too well the signs of weakness and exhaustion.

And he himself wasn't any better off.

He would not admit out loud how long his demons had kept him awake, however. Or even that he couldn't cast every spell with a flick of his hand.

"I will try one spell. If it doesn't work, we will address the more important things." The inn keeper decided.

"Food, rest, preparations. If we are in better shape, Lariana and I will reveal those patterns."

Link was surprised at how reasonable the man was. He had expected curiosity. Greed. Vengefulness. After all, those patterns were probably the one way for Ganondorf to get back at Teneb.

Teneb, who burnt down the inn.

Destroyed the Gerudo's new home.

Challenged the Demon King himself.

He'd be unwise to object, however. Nothing was better than calm behaviour instead of rash one, especially if it came to magic. Magic that would be cast on HIM.

To allow the man access, he sat upright and let the blanket slip from his shoulders to his hips and lap.

Ganondorf moved closer, sitting back on his haunches.

The inn keeper stared at Link's chest. He touched his chin then, his index finger tracing down the throat, through the valley of its base, passing through between the pecs and stopping over the heart. A burning tingle rippled through Link. His bright blue eyes locked with the Gerudo's golden ones.

Ganondorf repeated the procedure with two fingers. Then with three, channelling his magic. The hero endured without complaint, but the tingle became more painful every time. Nothing serious, yet enough to make him feel uncomfortable.

The warm fingers vanished, and the Gerudo shook his head. "Nothing. I felt a whisper of a spell and I am fairly sure the nature of those.. runes is a good one. I cannot make them appear, however."

Lariana sighed. "What good are those, if you cannot even reveal them?"

"I wonder." The inn keeper murmured, growing more and more suspicious of this Soma-woman. This lady better explain herself and her actions soon. Sending help that wasn't any did not amuse him. Was this the reason they should take Lariana with them? To be even able to make use of the dreamwalker's tools? Ridiculous.

He got to his feet. "No need to waste more resources on this now. Lariana, you should rest. Rabo, we will inspect the damage and save what is left from the garden. Link.. I expect you to fetch the things you stole from my pantry and take care of breakfast."

A small grin tugged at the corners of Ganondorf's mouth when he saw the surprised look on Link's face.

"Did you really think I wouldn't know, hero?"

The Hylian did not avert his gaze from the mocking face of his former enemy. He wanted to tell him right to the face that stealing wouldn't have been necessary, if the man listened and they'd set out right away. Then his stupid pantry would probably still be there, along with the rest of the inn.

Link kept his face calm instead. "I will bring everything outside and take care of breakfast." He assured.

Obviously, this was confession of guilt enough for the Gerudo, who's grin widened.

"Good."

He gripped Link's clothes and threw them into the hero's lap. Turning, he swept Lariana of her feet and into his arms, drawing a yelp of surprise from the woman. She slapped his chest warningly, yet her smile spoke affection. "I am not THAT weak, you old beguiler!"

"Are you two going to have sex again? Because then I'll go find me some work faaar away from you." Rabo suddenly threw in from behind the Gerudo, making Link chuckle. The hero got on his slightly wobbly feet and started to dress, when he met Lariana's amused stare. She peeked right over Ganondorf's shoulder, having both men lift a brow.

An odd silence fell over the stall. Eventually, Rabo snorted loudly and rolled his eyes. "I will be in the garden. Someone here has to take responsibility and stuff."

That said, he stomped out of the stables.

"And what are you staring at, dear?" Ganondorf asked now, his tone indignant.

"Well, you are not the only one in shape, so I decided to take a better look at your guest." The singer chimed, stroking the red beard of her lover, winking at Link.

The Hylian only shook his head and tried to get into his trousers. By now, he felt a little better and standing did not cause his knees to buckle.

Ganondorf engaged right in the tease. "I think I will have to steal you away fast and convince you, that I am much better to look at." He opened the stall's door with a foot and Lariana's silver laugh got carried away together with her.

"So much for her rest, huh?" Link murmured to himself, slipping his tunic clumsily over his head. He missed his usual fighter's grace and disapproved of the leaden feeling in his limbs. Yawning, he sank down into the straw again, rubbing his eyes. Laughter and a teasing growl drifted through the stables.

"So this is how you set to your tasks, hero."

Link started up from his sleep. He still leaned against the wall, dressing only halfway finished. How could he just have fallen asleep that easily?

"How long?" The Hylian asked, getting to his feet slowly.

Ganondorf was gazing at him from the stall's door, his thick forearms leaning onto it. The wide shoulders made him look like a boulder in this position, strong and immovable. His red hair was free of straw and carefully combed and braided again.

"An hour. When you didn't show up at all, I decided to look after you."

There was no accusation in the Gerudo's tone.

"I didn't even notice.. I'm sorry. I will bring the borrowed goods right away." Link slung his belt around his waist and wrapped his trousers' legs around his calves before slipping into his boots.

"I guess you needed it. But you better not let us wait longer. We are all hungry." The usual commanding tone was back in place and the hero gave a nod to signal he understood.

The boulder vanished. Going to continue whatever he was doing before, Link guessed.

Finally, the hero was once again in trousers, boots and tunic and made his way to Epona's stall. His girl greeted him with a snort, nuzzling his hand softly when he stroked her nose. He petted her flank and kissed her strong neck, before retrieving his saddlebags and the Master Sword from the corner. Shouldering everything, the Hylian left the stables - with a short stop at Lariana's 'room'. He did not really know what he expected to find, nor why this piqued his curiosity.

Link halted at her door and found the singer resting peacefully. She was breathing evenly, curled up under a huge cloak. It was old, the dark indigo color bled out and the seams ragged. Once golden thread that had been used to stitch ornaments onto the fabric was now nothing more than a pale reminder of its own beauty.

And yet, he could not find it sad. Link watched Lariana's chest lift and sink again, taking in breath and letting it out again. Under the ragged remnant of a once thriving culture, she slept safely and at ease. Protected.

The cloak still fulfilled its duty. No matter how worn and tired it was.

So maybe, Ganondorf the Demon King was a protector after all. A Guardian.

The former soldier sighed. He wondered if he would be a battered cloak, too, one day. Ganondorf certainly must be, remembering all those lives. Maybe it was time for the Gerudo to find some peace, too. Real peace, lasting for a lifetime, undisturbed by gods and men.

Link stepped out of the stables into the grey day. Between broken clouds, idle sunbeams found their way to the ground.

His eyes locked onto the huge figure standing in the ash covered remains of the garden. He didn't trust Ganondorf - yet. He did also not know what cruel deeds might lie in the past. Nor did he know the man. He only knew, he did not want to waste the rest of his life fighting against Ganondorf.

But maybe, just maybe, they could cooperate. Work together. And in the end, the ragged cloak would get a place of honor on the hatrack, where it could stay for as long as it wished.


	12. Nightmare Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thanks go to PaladinDragon on ffnet and studiorat from tumblr for beta-reading! <3  
> Hello to all new followers, thanks for all the kudos and reviews, hope you enjoy!

Ganondorf stood in the ruins of his garden, looking at the ashes covering his plants. The inspection of the house had left him and Rabo with only one option: wreck the whole place and rebuild it. The fire Teneb had set with his creature had destroyed everything thoroughly.

The only thing still existing were the walls and parts of his beloved mural. Doubtless, the magic woven into the colors kept some damage at bay. He wished he'd used more magic to preserve things, and yet: The wards he  _ did  _ set up obviously did nothing to hold off his new enemy.

Gingerly, Ganondorf lifted one of the smaller pots. To distract himself from new anger, he blew the ashes from the basil, uncovering the beautiful green leaves.

Somewhere to his side, Rabo rummaged loudly in the shed, looking for things to improvise a table and to get rid of the ash, too.

The huge man listened to the soft cursing of his protégé, frowning when he heard two or three new obscenities. Curses Rabo never used before. Soldiers' curses.

The source of those was not difficult to make out. Turning, Ganon found Link gazing at him from the stables' entrance.

Snorting, he set down the pot. No wonder Rabo loved the Hylian, when he taught him new things he could haul at the world. Or at him!

Ganondorf snorted again, not sure if he should be amused or annoyed. Ignoring the determination in Link’s eyes, he turned away again instead of bidding the hero closer. Striding further into his garden, the Demon King summoned a soft breeze with a short gesture, his will forming the words and channelling the magic without effort.

It gathered the ashes softly, lifting the grey coat, revealing the lively, soothing green of plants. There had been times when he did not appreciate the color. But he understood well the reasons why his enemy always was cloaked with the green of life.

Not only because Link was the chosen warrior of Courage. His very soul seemed to be connected to the land, and there was no doubt the Goddess Farore had a hand in the hero's selection, too.

 

The land favored Link. The spirits meandering through the world, the ghosts and sprites of old, still remembering the ancient times: they all held their protecting hands over the Hero, bestowing him with their good will and blessings.

It had taken Ganondorf a long time to figure out why Courage could destroy his plans and get in the way so persistently. Why the Hero could withstand and even harm Power.

He was a studied caster, hoarder of knowledge about magic, formulas and old incantations. He had learned from several magic schools, piling up skills over the course of centuries. And still, none of it, not even with Power, was enough to always win.

Today, he was wiser, Ganondorf surmised. And he knew, that all studies and reading and books and teachers in the world could not teach you everything. Some things weren't about letters. Or practice. Some things were about intuition.

The Gerudo opened his pouch, carefully plucking single leaves of mint, rosemary and thyme from his beloved bushes. There was a small compartment in his pouch for each of the herbs, big enough to ensure the spicing of the next meal.

Before they set out, he would harvest more, dry it and take it along. He was a cook after all!

"I brought the goods."

Link's voice made the man turn. Looking at the intruder, he lifted his brows.

"Good. Then go and be a good hero. Help Rabo. Without teaching him new curses, if possible."

The piercing blue eyes of the Hylian were calm and determined. Unwavering, as usual. Nodding, the warrior made his path to the shed, where Rabo rummaged still.

The Demon King stared at the hero's back. Summoning his magic, he saw clearly the aura surrounding the other man. The colorful construct of intricate threads, woven into each other, always changing, never leaving.

It was a stunning sight. Beautiful, a masterpiece of always-changing composition, like a kaleidoscope.

Ganondorf stood to his full height, watching the aura connect to his own plants. Just a bit. Just fine, fragile threads, like a complicated network.

"Favored you are indeed," he murmured grumpily.

Breaking his magical focus, the Gerudo continued with harvesting some of his herbs. He could have told Rabo that the ash was already taken care of. Instead, he decided to enjoy some of the last peaceful hours he might have, sitting down on the bench beneath the sole tree in the garden.

Soon, Ganondorf’s thoughts drifted to the things lying ahead. He’d prefer to nap, but the ruckus in the shed was loud enough to keep even the most patient of spirits awake. Closing his eyes, however, he did.

“A Guardian, hm?” He murmured into the void. Once, he had been a Guardian, but his heart had failed him and so he had failed his task. The goddesses wanted to mock him, obviously, naming him Guardian now. Again. When they had stripped everything from him. Well, everything except for the Triforce of Power.

_ Sudden silence forced him to open his eyes and interrupt his pondering. Everything lay absolutely still. No wind moved, no bird sang. _

_ “What-“ _

_ He squinted his eyes at the wavering figure hovering mid-air beside his citrus plants. _

_ “It is not easy to enter your mind, Demon King,” she said. Her voice was merely a faint whisper, making it hard to understand her. _

_ “Soma,” he surmised, crossing his arms before his chest.  _

_ She floated closer. _

_ “A key, to master the runes. Fast, your hand. Already my strength wanes.“ _

_ The Demon King ground his teeth, not liking being forced into decisions like this. Not being able to have a choice. _

_ Yet he lifted his right hand, putting it against hers. Pain seared. The silence was torn apart by his own grunt of agony. _

Strong fingers gripped his heavy shoulders. Someone shook him.

“Master? Master?!“ Rabo almost screamed in his ear, but when he opened his eyes, it was Link standing in front of him.

“Are you alright? You screamed.” The Hero had indeed the grace to look slightly worried. Ganondorf lifted his brows in contempt, ready to sneer at the other man. Before he could, however, his protégé shoved himself beside Link, and not only did Rabo look worried, he looked worried sick.

Stupid boy. Worrying about the Demon King.

“I am perfectly fine.“

He stood, making Link stepping back. Ganon held out his right hand, inspecting his palm, where a single triangle was emblazoned. It framed two dots which were crowned by curly lines, and to their left and right three straight, diagonal ones, pointing earthward.

“I had a visit from our  _ friend _ .“ Holding up his palm, he let Link have a look himself. The Hylian frowned.

“What can it do?”

“Let’s find out after breakfast. What about the table? I hope you two did more than just cause my ears go deaf with all the noise,” the Gerudo snorted.

Link pointed to the wooden board they had scavenged from the shed, leaning against the garden wall. The Demon King nodded approvingly. Lifting the heavy board alone was no problem for him, but it was very unwieldy.

With a look only he indicated Link to help him. Together, they carried the board through the garden.

Rabo hurried ahead and scooped a bucket of water for the breakfast, before the men covered the well.

“Makes for a nice improvised table, I’d say. You have the food?” Ganondorf asked.

"Right here.” Link pointed to the bag leaning against the well.

The inn keeper drew closer. "Then let's see what our green friend has foraged from my storage room." He opened the saddle bag and took out the things that were in it. Rabo blinked in confusion, probably because of the ‘green friend’, but the instant a glass of preserved cherries and stoneberries landed on the table, he forgot to ask and rather cheered in delight. A small wheel of tasty goat cheese followed. There was bread, a chunk of salted meat and mixed pickles, too. And a glass of marmalade.

"Well.. you chose well," the Gerudo admitted. The cherries and stoneberries, the meat, the cheese and the marmalade were all not only fit for long travelling, they also counted as more valuable things from his former storage. "I hope you intended to pay for these."

Link rummaged through his bag and put two wooden plates, a fork and two knives on the improvised table. "I did. Not anymore." Looking up, his piercing blue gaze locked onto the golden eyes of the Demon King. It was a silent challenge.

Rabo cleared his throat. "Of course he will not charge you for the stuff. We are eating with you, so be our guest, okay? Am I right, master?" the teenager stated, drawing a derisive snort from the inn keeper's throat. For a long moment, the Demon King merely held Link’s gaze.

 

"Of course you are," he drawled.

Satisfied with that, his protégé started to slice up the bread and cheese. As there were only two plates, Rabo covered his slice of bread while holding it in his hand. Obviously, the young man expected that he would have the short straw.

The Demon King shrugged, more to himself, opening the glass with the stoneberries and the one with marmalade. Link handed him a neatly cut slice of bread before taking some for himself.

The breakfast went on in content silence, all three of them too busy with indulging the few but tasty treasures.

Finally, Ganon rinsed his plate and dried it with his will, before preparing a meal for Lariana. None of them had gone to wake her, all of them agreeing that the singer should rest as much as possible. Now, the Gerudo smeared the bread with marmalade, another he stacked cheese upon, decorated the plate with stoneberries and filled a cup with water.

Rabo and Link watched him with lifted brows, doubtless because he was humming. “Should we stay out of the stables?” the wild-haired boy asked carefully.

Ganondorf snorted. Without answering that, he carried plate and water to where Lariana slept.

His good mood didn’t last long. She wasn’t there. Dread gripped his heart fast. The Gerudo forced himself to put down plate and water instead of throwing it to the ground to give his surging emotions an outlet.

“Lariana?”

Maybe she was just in another stall.

_ Fool! _ he scolded himself.  _ She is not here and you know it. Feel it! _

With a low growl, Ganondorf hurried outside, scanning the surroundings for Lariana. She was nowhere to be seen. He yelled her name again, the tremendous dark sound being swallowed by the sandstone of the canyon.

Finally, he turned to Link and Rabo. Both of them shook their heads even before he had to ask. No, they hadn’t seen her either.

The hero’s blue eyes showed alertness. Small wonder, the Gerudo knew very well how upset and angry he must look. If this was another ploy by Teneb, stealing away his friend from under his nose, he would tear down this godsbedamned Dreamworld and rip out the heart of that bastard.

“The cave,” Link suggested, his voice so calm that Ganondorf almost became even more furious. He reigned himself in. This was no time for blind fury. No time to give in his raw emotions, no matter how dire the situation. Teneb used his soft spots and struck there without hesitation. Giving in meant the dream idiot would win.

“The cave,” the Gerudo affirmed with a rumble in his voice. “Rabo, stay put.”

The teenager crossed his arms before his chest. "This is some stupid magic thing, huh?"

 

"Probably.”

The gaze of the teenager was forlorn. Ganondorf could clearly see how the boy didn’t like being left out. Yet there was nothing to discuss here. Potentially endangering another important person in his life was not an option.

“Fine,” Rabo growled. “Go off, have some magic fun, master. Not that you’d need my approval.”

 

“I don’t. But I feel better if you at least are safe.” The Gerudo ruffled Rabo’s hair, one of the rare affectionate gestures he showed. The smile on his face was thin-lipped, however.

He left the young man, hoping that indeed he would be safer where he was now. After joining Link in front of the cave entrance, they both entered. Blackness swallowed them, much denser and heavier than usual. Gone was the calming feeling of the mysterious magic source that could be found here normally. Instead, the pressure of ancient magic was overwhelming, making him dizzy. Beside him, he heard the hero stumble as well.

When they reached the cave clearing, the daylight streaming in from the ceiling holes was almost blotted out by the whirling shadows in the air. Their screeching sound made Ganondorf woozy. Bracing himself against the wall for a moment, his eyes scanned the area, finding Lariana standing in the middle of all.

Her eyes were glowing.

He wanted to rush to her, rescue her, punish the one who dared abduct her. And still, the Demon King forced himself to stay where he was, to be calm and assess first.

Link stepped forward. “She’s calling me,” he murmured, already so close to the storm of shadows they tore at his tunic. Indeed, Lariana had lifted her arm, bidding them closer. Through the thick air and chaotic magic pattern, Ganondorf could feel another presence. Soma’s presence.

He pressed his lips into a thin line, glaring.

It was the falling body of the Hylian which broke his focus on the possessed singer. Reacting quickly, he caught the other man in his arms, lowering him slowly to the ground. When the Demon King looked up again, he saw Link standing right in front of him.

Almost ghostly in his translucent form, the hero’s eyes gleamed in an otherworldly red. His hair had become a shaggy mane, reaching down his shoulders; his hands were bestowed with sharp claws for nails. Link was clad in his Hero’s garment, only the color was wrong. It was a silver moonlight-color, touched with blue where the shimmer of the runes on his skin cast a light on the fabric.

Ganondorf would have approved of Link’s animalistic apparition a great deal more under different circumstances. Now he could only see what this meant for him: He was not able to go and save Lariana himself. Soma obviously had chosen Link to come to her.

The Demon King ground his teeth in silent anger. He was no one to be left behind! And now he should simply put all his trust in Link, while he himself was supposed to be the meat shield?

Ganondorf snarled at him. "Get her to safety." It wasn't a plea.

More shadows lunged at the Gerudo King, aiming for the motionless body in his arms.

"Protect me," Link retorted.

Leaving the Demon King to his own task, the Hylian turned to face the Nightmare Shadows again.

The hero vanished into the thickness of screeching shadows, leaving him alone to deal with whatever Teneb would haul at them. The Demon King drew the limp body against his own. Soon, the howling storm sent single nightmares to claw at them, trying to hurt them both.

He spoke a single formula, erecting a shield. It shattered under the first attack. Ganondorf threw himself to the side, burying Link beneath him to put his body between hero and shadows. With a burst of raw power he got rid of them, but he could hardly uphold this tactic.

Who knew how long it would take the Hylian to come back? Not even he had enough magic to waste it that generously.

It was not long before they slashed at him, leaving marks on his skin. They weren’t physical enough to draw blood, yet the sheer mass of attacks would kill him sooner or later. Growling, Ganon took hit by hit. The nightmare creatures tore his clothes and ripped his hair from the braid.

This mustn’t go on. With another burst, he blew the shadows away and put more effort in the next shield. Damn Soma, for giving him a key to a new spell, but no hint how to use it! And now there was hardly the time for calmly analyzing it.

Sitting upright, he looked over Link’s body. Under the tunic, something glowed faintly. Lifting the hem, Ganondorf pushed the fabric up, shoving it under the hero’s chin, only to behold the runes the warrior had spoken of earlier.

He howled when a short but sharp pain jabbed his back. Another shield shattered, another blow taken. Maybe he would have to use Link’s method for once: instinct.

Instinct could be a dangerous thing if it came to magic. But as things stood, he had no choice.

While he protected Link with his own body – something the hero better be eternally grateful for later! – he tried to find a hint, a clue, anything within the pattern of glowing runes to help him. And there, so dark against the alluring brightness, was a spot of uncovered skin, right there over Link’s heart. It was so obvious that the Demon King denied for a moment that this might very possibly be the solution to his problem – for now.

With a grunt, he pressed his key-hand to the empty spot. The flare was immediate, blinding his eyes and then the heat and magical pressure swallowed him whole.

An unknown force swept through him, raw and unchannelled, threatening to devour or fry him. Ganondorf reared up.

Around him the shadows became dense, their claws sharp. Pain mingled with more pain. The heat in and around him grew to an unbearable storm. He needed a focus. Guidance! This power was unknown to him, but he needed to handle it, if only shortly. If only for long enough to survive!

_ Guardian. _

Not Link’s voice. Not soma’s voice. He roared and broke the contact to the hero’s skin, trying to force all the remnant dream magic into a solid shield. He focused on protection.

It took him a few seconds to understand that it had worked. The silence within the walls he created was almost eerie. He hurt all over, and his skin was steaming, for Goddesses’ sake. Annoyed, he dragged a hand over his face and shoved the loosened strands of red hair out of his view. Now, Link had only to re-establish the veil.

“This should be a piece of cake for the almighty Hylian hero,” the Gerudo mumbled to himself. He found that upholding his new shiny shield did not take as much magic as he supposed in the first place. So he would be able to hold his position for a while.

And a while it took.

When Link didn’t return after half an hour, and not after an hour still, the Demon King grew impatient – and worried.

Considering his options, he decided for the one thing he actually could do while being forced to stay put: Sending out a light. Maybe the nightmares steered Link from his path. Guidance was never a bad thing.

With practiced ease, he let his Triforce of Power shine. The warm glow of the godly force pierced through the wavering density of shadows, reaching for the dark core of the cave.

There! He saw the ghostly form of Link stumbling in his direction. “Finally. It is about time,” Ganondorf rumbled. He wondered if the Hylian could enter the shielded zone.

In that moment, a huge mass of black tendrils appeared behind Link. Some of them caught the hero’s neck, torso and wrists, dragging him to the ground and away from Ganondorf.

The Gerudo howled.

“This is ENOUGH!” His arm shot forward. He grabbed Link’s ankle, wondering only for a moment how translucent his arm looked and how long it was, before pulling hard. The tug-of-war only lasted a few seconds.

He flung the hero’s spirit form back into his body.

The loud, monstrous shriek of the darkness filled the air, together with a pillar of silvery light enclosing Lariana’s body in the middle of it all. The nightmares dissolved with an ear-piercing hiss. Link drew in a gasping breath, his eyes jerking open only to close again, blinded by the light.

Ganondorf did the same, pressing the other man against him while turning away from the light source.

Slowly, the impact faded, leaving them back in the dim light of daylight that broke through the cave ceiling.

Link looked up to him, studying his face.

The walls around the inn keeper glowed as if something scorched them. Blackened, they loomed around them, showing some last embers’ afterglow.

_ Look at it, at your ‘Guardian’ and what he is capable of _ , the Gerudo thought.

The Demon King formed a tight-lipped sardonic smile. “What took you so long, hero? Did you lose your edge in those seven lazy years?”

To his surprise, Link gave him a wry smile. “Seems so. Thank you for helping me out, Ganon.”

_ Hear, hear. _

The tension in his shoulders eased up a little. He let go of the Hylian, who struggled to get to his feet. The attempt looked rather wobbly.

His own did, too, much to his dismay. With a grunt, the Demon King got up. He had enough of this whole Guardian thing already. The hero didn’t bring Lariana, so he would have to look for her himself. Obviously.

“Do I have to do everything mysel-“

She came to him. Her eyes still weren’t right. They were glowing in the same blue-and-silver shimmer as Link did in his spirit form.

_ You have performed well. The veil is whole again. You have saved this area from great despair. _

Ganondorf snorted angrily.

_ I will release Lariana. Rest. The journey ahead is long. _

With that, the glow vanished from the singer’s eyes and she fell forward. The inn keeper captured her safely. Softly, he caressed her cheek, removing a few strands of hair from her pale face.

Lifting Lariana onto his arms, he turned, ready to leave this cave.

Link followed him silently, his exhaustion clear to see. Ganondorf felt about the same. Drained, his skin hurting, his head aching. He would have to have a nice little chat with Soma. Next time.

When they exited the cave, Rabo spotted them at once. Cheering, he came running.

Both of them stood, waiting for him.

“You know, I think you make a good Guardian,” Link said calmly.

Ganondorf locked eyes with him for a moment.

He smiled arrogantly. “Of course I am.”

Yes. Maybe he could be a Guardian after all.


	13. Outset Inn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: contains training fight; no blood.
> 
> Thank you to all my dear readers for your patience and also for reading this. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.  
> Big thank you also to my betareaders PaladinDragon and underhersky. I couldn't do this without you!

After the fight, something like a wobbly truce settled between Ganondorf and Link. Instead of teasing each other, they prepared the journey ahead – which cost them another day. The Gerudo rode to the town to buy what goods they would need, including the best map of Praelar he could get, while Link helped Rabo to salvage whatever they could from the ruins of the inn.

Already, the young man had pretty detailed plans for how he imagined the new inn. Link did nothing to stop the overflowing enthusiasm, listening to his new friend's rambling, only throwing in a suggestion here and there. Maybe this was Rabo's way to cope a little with the loss. That aside, the ideas of the young man were amazing. Exaggerated, sometimes, but often amazing – and very smart.

Finally, everything was settled for setting out. All things were packed and prepared.

Ganondorf led Lato into the dim sunlight of the early morning. Link and Lariana stood not far away, tying last things to their saddlebags.  
With a deep sigh, the Gerudo turned to have the 'You cannot come with us'-talk he did not want to have. As much as he loved Rabo, his protégé was not suited for this journey. He would get in the way. Get hurt. Would probably suffer the one or another loss.

Ganon found Rabo standing right in front of him. They exchanged a long glance, the chest of the huge man lifted when he drew a deep breath, he opened his mouth and-  
"I won't come with you."  
\- let the air out again. "What?"  
"I won't come with you, Master. I know you don't want to take me along, and someone has to oversee the rebuilding of the inn, you know. So you have some place you can return to." The brown eyes flickered with a hint of insecurity. "You will come back, no?"

A smile tugged at the corners of Ganondorf's mouth. For a moment, he let the feeling of pride wash over him. Rabo had grown into a brave young man, and despite some of his goofiness, he knew how to take responsibility.

The Gerudo nodded calmly. He snatched three pages of rolled paper from his long vest. "There is nothing that can keep me from having a nice and happy life in my inn, don't worry. Here are the new plans for the building. You decide on the ornaments this time, but careful with the color!"  
Rabo grinned. "Sure. No rose or yellow or other stuff. Money?"

With a sigh, the Gerudo handed him a flat, polished marblestone. An intricate rune was engraved on its surface. "You know where everything is, but don't spend too much of it on fancy things! And no horse breeding business before I come back."

The teenager snorted. "Don't worry. On your return, you will have a beautiful inn with a huge kitchen and a nice new garden and a few trees.."  
"Trees? When do you think I come back? In fifty years?"  
"That would make you one hundred, I don't think people live that long?"

Ganondorf gaped at the insolent brat. As if he was fifty already!

Link and Lariana both broke into laughter. Even more so, when the Demon King turned to face them with a cold stare, his sour face making the whole situation utterly hilarious.

The hero bowed under the weight of his own laughter, folded halfway over the arm that held his stomach, leaning against Epona when his knees seemed to buckle.  
The singer beside him tried to hide her amusement behind a hand, not very successfully. Rabo grinned his widest grin, his chest swelling with confidence.

"You owe me five silver pieces," he said all smug and beaming. Ganondorf's head flipped back to his protégé, harsh protest on his lips, when he remembered the bet between him and Rabo.  
He growled. "You little ungrateful brat! Fine. Take the silver pieces from our money stash, and don't think I wouldn't notice if it's more." Though he knew Rabo would never take more. The boy was an honest and good soul - most of the time. The other time he was mischief.

Lariana dabbed at her eyes with a piece of cloth, removing tears of laughter. Finally she asked: "What are those silver pieces for?"  
"Master bet that Link was too stoic for such a burst of emotion," Rabo replied gleefully.  
The singer chuckled.

Upon hearing this, Link smirked and shrugged. "I can laugh. I am not always austere, you know." After all, he did laugh when he was around the guests from the village…

He came closer, giving Rabo a firm hug. "Take care of yourself, okay? When we come back, I will tell you all the stories."

"That's actually Master's task. He is still the best storyteller," Rabo denied apologetically.

Now it was Ganondorf's turn to laugh about Link's baffled face, though it turned out to be more of a dark and proud chuckle.

* * *

They rode quietly at first. Ganondorf was brooding over the map, while Link tried to take in the surroundings. Obviously, the Demon King saw himself as the leader of the group, and didn't deem it necessary to inform either of them where they were headed.

To maintain the fragile peace a little longer, Link humoured him, not asking anything nor questioning the Gerudo's decisions. Besides, he didn't know Praelar at all, except from Zelda's maps. Of which he hadn't been allowed to take any with him.

His intention had been to buy a map here. Now that Ganondorf provided one, Link would wait with buying his own map a little longer.

Lariana didn't seem to mind either, though she probably knew the roads of Praelar pretty well. A travelling singer surely knew how to find the way. He wondered if she had a map. But why would Ganondorf buy one, then?

"I propose we follow this road to the Great Trade Road and from there we can head to the Ahnka Mountains. Ahnka is a node of wisdom and knowledge, their library is the biggest, best appointed of the land. The librarians are a bit.. peculiar, but without a doubt there is the place to start our research," the Gerudo finally said.

Link pondered over this for a moment. "Gathering information sounds like a good idea to me. So far, we don't know anything much about all of this. Maybe at least we can find out something about the Dreamworld. Or these runes."

"Of course we don't. Say about the goddesses what you will, at least they were always clear in their instructions. But this dream-woman is nothing but riddles and vagueness – if she decides to show up at all," Ganondorf growled.

Soma had not shown up since the fight, which left them once again in the dark. Link understood too well why the Demon King let no occasion slip to express his disapproval about her constant absence. The Hylian, too, began to feel upset about Soma's missing guidance. Upset, and also concerned.

"We should try to contact her tonight. Maybe she is too weak to come to us, so we should go to her. What if Teneb holds her captive?" Not that any of them knew how to enter the Dreamworld or find Soma, but he was willing to try whatever he could.

Ganon looked like he wanted to comment, but didn't. After a few moments, he sighed. "Yes, I agree. It would save us quite a way if she did not only give us directions, but also answer the many questions I have for her."

"Maybe I can be of help. I could try to send Link into the Dreamworld. The dreamhealing worked well. He might find his way by instinct," Lariana proposed softly.

"Very well. It will also be a good magical lesson. We should pick up those again. All of us should do some mental and physical training. Teneb has probably aces up his sleeve, we need to be prepared as best as we can. Sharing information also is of the essence," the Gerudo said.

His companions nodded in agreement. "I suppose we all should start with sharing what we experienced in the cave," Link suggested.

"Indeed we should. I am mighty curious how in all Sands Lariana not only got there, but got there without us noticing."

The deep concern in the golden eyes made the singer look away.

"I will tell you all I can recall, whatever little it might be," she promised.

After a moment of silence, she straightened in the saddle, recalling what she could with closed eyes. "I was asleep. A voice woke me, a voice I knew. I think it was Soma. I rose from the hay and stepped out of the stables. Everything was oddly colorless and there was no sound at all. I felt light, almost like levitating.

"I could see neither of you, so I started lookin. A slight tugging pulled me closer and closer to the cave entrance, until I finally couldn't withstand any longer and entered. From there, everything is a blur of shadows and pain spreading through my limbs."

"Pain?" The voice of the Demon King boomed both angry and surprised. Lariana smiled at him softly. "I think Soma intended me to be a kind of an anchor. So that Link knew where to go. Being amidst a storm of shadows has a cost, I suppose."

Ganondorf ground his teeth, his eyes gleaming with anger. Link exchanged an alarmed look with the singer, but Lariana was unfazed. She laid a hand upon Ganondorf's right forearm, drawing his attention.

"We all have a part to play, it seems. And we all might have to make certain sacrifices. I am not a tender Moonlight Flower, Gan. I can take pain."

He snorted, pulling away from her. "That doesn't mean I have to be happy about it."

"It doesn't, indeed." Lariana sighed.

"You come from a people with some of the strongest warriors of Hyrule, many of them who are female. Shouldn't you know better than any of us what women are capable of?" Link threw in, puzzled about the fact that Ganondorf reacted like that.

It made the Demon King growl, then snort. After a moment, however, his sizzling anger subsided, and he shrugged. "Fair enough. But I am still not happy with this."

Lariana chuckled. "I assure you, I will take greatest pains to avoid pain," she swore, hand over heart, yet winking at both of the men.

Link didn't doubt for a second that her choice of words had been intentionally. A look at Ganondorf's slightly sour face told him the Gerudo had picked up on the play on words, too.

Finally, the Demon King shook his head to signal they should return to talk about serious things again.

"My turn," he said, telling them with neutral voice about what happened in the cave. How he tried to shield Link in his usual ways and failed, before he discovered how to use the key Soma gave him, unleashing too much power for his own good.

"Of course, I also saved our hero's butt," the Gerudo added with a dark, mocking grin. Link nodded solemnly. The Hylian seemed deep in thought for a moment.

Finally, the man straightened in the saddle, starting into his own tale. "When Soma called me, I felt a distinct pull. I gave in and found myself separated from my body. I suppose, I entered the Dreamworld. My hands had nails like claws, my tunic looked different. Everything looked different. Dark and with drained colors. I seemed to be the only.. light source, if you can call it that."  
"The Light Child," Lariana whispered. Link went on.

"Soma told me to cross the dark storm to reach Lariana. And while doing that, she bid me to imagine crossing a border. Told me to dream it, in whatever shape or color. Those howling shadows tore at me. It was hard concentrating on images of borders. I 'dreamt' of.. bridges. Breaking through the surface of water. Entering and leaving my house. Stepping from the shadow into the light. When I reached you," he looked at Lariana, "I was told to do the same, only now I should go back to my body.

"I had a rough time finding back. There was no hint where to go or how to keep the direction. Those.. nightmares.. well, they showed me a lot of nasty things. Terrible things. Some of them were memories."

The voice of the hero had dropped more and more to a whisper, his face grim. He shook himself and continued.

"I was just going forward and clinged to my bridges and surfaces as much as possible. It was a relief to see the golden light showing the way, but then I fell and something tangled my foot when I was almost there."

Link turned his head to catch Ganondorf's gaze. "I don't know how, but your arm became different and crossed that distance, ripping me right out of the Dreamworld. It hurt a lot. It also saved me from being dragged back into that storm. And it became clear to me, that I have to learn many, many things before we close the next hole. So yes, you did save my butt."

The Demon King lifted a brow. It would have been easy and delicious to revel in his superiority. Unfortunately, though he did save Link, he, too, had to learn. So he merely gave an earnest nod, accepting this peace offer and Link's gratefulness.

His need for information satisfied, the Demon King fell silent, contemplating all they knew up to now. It was still shockingly few. He and Lato fell behind a bit, trotting after the other two. Lariana and Link indulged in easy chatter, lighthearted and friendly, leaving Ganondorf to himself for a while.

When the sun was almost at its zenith, Link finally turned in his saddle to call out to the man. "You are falling behind, Demon King."

"Do not call me that. Ganon is fine," the Gerudo corrected the hero with a hint of warning in his voice.

Link held the gaze of Ganondorf for a second, then nodded. He knew he'd better heed that warning. Their truce was brittle yet. No need to challenge the Gerudo King.

Still, Ganondorf spurred Lato on, catching up with Lariana and him.

* * *

They rode at easy pace until past midday. Their first break was a quiet one, broken only by the sounds of a small stream beside the road, birds chirping and the horses plucking bunches off grass from the ground. They obviously enjoyed the fresh green grass.

Lariana plucked an idle tune on her lyre. Link allowed himself to rest his back against a smooth rock, closing his eyes, letting his mind wander. He didn't doze off completely.

Ganondorf let him have his little nap. They would have to set up some rules. Responsibilities, so everyone knew what to do when they made camp. Their provisions would last, but fresh meat on the way was something to consider. It stood to question if Link was a good hunter, because he himself was not.

He could, however, do the wood gathering and make fire and food. Lariana was a master of rabbit snares, entertainment and she knew very much about Praelar. Maybe it would be wiser to let her lead the way.

"Brooding again?" Link asked, his voice slurring.

Instead of answering, Ganon threw him one of the two training swords. The Hylian almost didn't catch it.

Link sighed. Already suspecting what this meant, he came to his feet slowly. There was a slight feeling of old dread settling low in his stomach.

"Time for a little assessment sparring." The Gerudo held the second training sword in his hand. He didn't want them to use their designated weapons, the hero thought. Would a fight with their usual weapons stir the old bloodthirst in Ganondorf? Just as it stirred an old fear in him?

Link licked his lips.

The question remained unspoken for now. Instead, the Hylian straightened and took stance. Lariana retreated with a sigh, starting to pack up their food and blanket, as well as refilling their water skins at the stream. Ganondorf rolled his shoulders for a few seconds, then charged. His huge shape might have deceived everyone else into thinking he was slow.

Link however parried the first blow, the second, the third. He was alarmed and wary, his trust in the loyalty of the Gerudo still brittle. And yet. It was so very much different from years ago. He had aged and honed his skills. He was able to analyze, to place his own attacks more strategically.

Dodging the next blow, he whirled around, aiming for Ganondorf's shoulder with the flat side of the blade. In the very last moment, the man brought his steel between. Smiling with an odd satisfaction, he pried the sword from Link's hand in an incredibly swift motion.

The hero rolled away.

Surprised, the Demon King frowned. "Not giving up yet, are you?" he mused. Picking up the fallen sword, the man approached the Hylian calmly. "If you want to end this fight, you have to audibly yield. Or tap your hand against the ground three times in case you cannot talk anymore.."

The blue eyes were filled with determination now, instead of fear. That was good. Indeed, the hero had become a truly formidable fighter, able to hold his own against him. At least with training weapons.

Ganondorf whirled the swords to get a better feeling of their weight, then initiated the next attack.

Link was very fast. His short reaction time balanced the fight for a bit. When he couldn't dodge, he would step into close combat range, blocking the blow not at the blade, but at Ganondorf's forearm, placing a fast jab against the man's ribs, then swiftly rolling out of range again.

The Demon King saw himself not only entertained, but also vaguely impressed. He chuckled. "You need to end your fights earlier, if you want to uphold your strength."

Not even panting, the Gerudo closed in on Link. The hero dove away under the blades, past the man, coming up with a jump that was strong enough for him to get up Ganondorf's back and wrap a forearm around his neck.

"Yield!" Link demanded, strangling the Demon King. The very one threw away the swords, gripping the Hylian by the upper arms instead. Lowering his balance point, he broke the hero's grasp with brute force, throwing him to the ground with a grunt.

Link felt the impact in all his bones, and the dread flared, almost making him panic. Again, he rolled away, got to his feet and charged. Not expecting such a fast attack after that throw, Ganondorf took the full force of the shoulder ramming his stomach. He lost his footing for a second. Falling, the Gerudo wound an arm around Link's neck, catching the breathless Hylian in a strong headlock.

They tumbled over the ground, both carried by their own momentum. With a splash, they landed in the stream. Link sat on the man's stomach, sword in hand, point hovering only a little over Ganondorf's throat.

Blinking, the Demon King looked up to his opponent. An old anger flashed in the golden eyes, disbelief about how he underestimated the Hylian.

In this moment, it was almost as if Link could feel the resonance between them. The echo of their never-ending fight, filling him with dread and determination, filling Ganondorf with anger and bloodlust.

The Demon King broke the tension when he started barking barked laughter, shaking the Hylian sitting on him.

"Very well, I yield," he said after a few moments of regaining composure. He might be unhappy about losing, yet he was pleased about this fight. It was so much more thrilling to have a real opponent.

It was risky, though. Crossing blades with the hero stirred a lot of old emotions in him, too. Link knew that, he could see it in his eyes.

Well, they would have to learn to let go of those feelings, Ganondorf mused, watching Link throw away the sword now. Not feeling too uncomfortable in his position, he gripped the other man's ankles, making him stay put. "So, was it your plan all along to pick up the sword during our tumble?" he asked intrigued.

After short hesitation, Link shook his head. "No. I just went with the flow of the fight. But when you headlocked me, I saw the steel glinting and the rest happened on instinct."

"Formidable indeed, I must admit. It is far more entertaining to fight you today than it was years ago."

Ganondorf sat up. He had underestimated Link. But more important was, that he really didn't have to look out for the Hylian too much if it came to mundane fights. The little pointy-ear could very well fend for himself.

One burden less to worry about as 'Guardian'.

Shaking off the last remnants of unease, both of them stood. The Gerudo wrapped an arm around his former enemy, focusing not on the past, but on the present. "How about a kiss for the winner? It is also a dead-sure way to strengthen alliances, I heard," he offered most generously, voice dropping to an alluring rumble.

"It is in many cultures, that is true. Though most of them use kisses to the forehead, mouth corner or cheek. I have a feeling that's not what you have in mind and so I'll pass," Link replied sternly.

"Diplomat after all, huh?" With a deep sigh, Ganondorf let go of the Hylian. It was a shame, really. He had a feeling that, soon, their task would make it hard to have happy times.


	14. A Solved Riddle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long wait is over. Here is my next chapter. Thank you so much to all my readers and the reviews you write!  
> Special thanks to studiorat for betareading my chapter!

Link let his gaze wander across the landscape spreading before him.

Following the road would bring them to the shorter arm of an unnamed river that stretched from Praelar's eastern mountains almost to the great trade road. In the delta between the river's longer and shorter arm lay a town a little bigger than the town they set out from.

The land they had travelled so far was mostly wide fields of grass and wildflowers, with little settlements and farms scattered here and there, many easy to reach from the road and perfect for getting provisions. They could exchange their successfully hunted prey for eggs, bread, apples or other things.

At least, Ganondorf said so.

Link had spurned Epona away from Lariana and Ganondorf to scout the area. For him, everything here was new. The landmarks were unknown to him, though grass, trees and flowers were similar to those in Hyrule Field. He breathed clean air, enjoying the scents of the tamed land. The setting sun glistened on the far river arm, drawing the silhouette of a small group of strong trees down the hill.

Petting Epona's strong neck, he gently turned her around and away from the tasty grass she already had set about to pluck with her teeth.

Lariana and Ganondorf were catching up to him. It was only the fourth day of their journey, yet all three of them were beginning to find their pace.

Everyone had their chores when they set up or broke down camp. The mornings started with training and meditation, the evenings were for studying the runes on his body, idle talk and strategic discussions, Ganondorf had decided.

Twice, they tried to contact Soma, using Lariana's dreamcalling. Twice, not a word from her. Ganondorf had his face in a neutral mask whenever the topic of the woman arose, but somehow Link could feel the anger underneath that carefully maintained calmness.

When Lariana and Ganondorf were close enough, Link raised his voice. "I found a good resting place for tonight."

The Gerudo closed the distance first, nudging Lato beside Epona. His face was unmoved for a moment, then he nodded approvingly. "Accepted," he said.

Lariana guided her horse to Link's left and smiled. "As if he needs your approval, Gan."

With a grunt, the huge man turned in his saddle towards her. "I am the leader of this group, and certainly most fit for this position. I am a King, after all."

Lariana lifted her brows gracefully. "Just because neither Link nor I disagreed with you picking our next destination, does not mean we agreed on you being the leader," she chided softly.

Ganondorf grunted again, louder this time, his voice clearly underlined with the first hint of grudge. With a click of his tongue, he made Lato jump into a soft canter down the hill, heading for the tree group.

The singer chuckled. Link gave her a sideway glance. "We could have just let him believe he's our leader and kept peace a while longer," he said with a sigh.

Lariana shook her head. "Don't worry. His grudge won't hold long. He might not always handle well when people talk back to him, but that is exactly the quality he loves about some of them. I am one of those. You, too."

The Hylian stared at her with bewilderment. Once again wondering, how much exactly Lariana knew about Ganondorf and his former relationship to the man, he gripped the reigns harder.

"We were enemies me and him. I am pretty certain he does not appreciate when I stand up to him."

"But he does. It makes him less King and more humble. Closer to what he wants to be. But living lives where he got used to obedience and striking fear into the hearts of his enemies have left their mark on him," Lariana replied. Her eyes were fixed on the broad back of the Gerudo riding down the hill.

Link felt the goose bumps prickle in his neck. "How do you know all this, Lariana?" he finally asked, his expression stern.

The singer shrugged. "A year is enough time to get to know someone. And people open up to me easily. I do not betray their trust, so they share all kinds of stories. Ganondorf shared many of his. Enough for me to see the man, not the Demon King. Enough for me to get to know the Demon King, but to be able to speak to the man. We are lovers, after all."

Her wink made the hero stare at her again.

"Speaking of which, we will try not to be too loud tonight."

Link gaped, blinking. For all her delicateness, it seemed Lariana had no problem at all to address touchy topics.

"I advise picking a less romantic place next time." She smirked and spurred on her horse. With a laugh, she rode down the hill, her silver voice carried by the wind.

With a snort, Link followed a few heartbeats after.

 

* * *

 

The fire was warm and bright in the darkness. Critters were generously making nature's music. Ganondorf was stirring slices of sausage and greens in his pot.

Lariana played idle tunes on her lyre, after having tended to the horses. Meanwhile, Link had set up the tents. So close to the river it was too damp and cold at night to sleep without.

Now he stared into the flames, lost in thought. Somehow it felt as if they were watched, especially at night. All of them suffered from nightmares, robbing them of truly restful sleep, so they often napped in the saddle during daytime. Only he seemed to have daydreams or visions, though.

Very vivid daydreams, of him wandering through forests, only to find a crescent moon shining brightly upon a lake. He wondered if those daydreams were a map of their own, but he did not yet share his thoughts. If he would have the same dream tomorrow, a third time in a row, he would talk.

And yet, the dreams made him think.

Travelling to a node of knowledge was a solid plan, but Link wondered if it was the right thing to do. Yet before he would go and have a discussion about the topic of the 'where', there was something even more urgent they should try to deal with.

He kept his quiet until Ganon scooped hearty stew into their wooden bowls. Three spoons into the meal, the Hylian lifted his head, his eyes wandering between Lariana and the Gerudo for a moment.

Finally, his spoon remained in the bowl and he spoke. "There has to be something we can do about those nightmares."

His companions lifted their head from their meal. He continued.

"I have heard both of you talk in your sleep, and none of it was hinting to nice dreams. You are dozing off in the saddle during the day. As am I."

"And what about it? A few nightmares are not uncommon for travelers. Every one of us has experienced the one or another adventure, not all of them of the good kind," Ganondorf replied, his voice having a dark edge to it.

"After what we lived through recently, nightmares should not be taken lightly,", Lariana said softly. "We already know that Teneb has power over the dreams. And dreams have power over the minds of the people."

"What would you have me do, then? I only have been studying the patterns for three days. Our 'friend' has been silent ever since. My patience with her is running thin," the Demon King almost spit. Shaking his head, he took another spoonful of stew.

"There must be a way to protect ourselves from his influence. Can you not direct the energy of the runes into a shield or something?"

The hero sounded calm, almost pleading. He probably had no right to propose ridiculous things. He couldn't even summon his sword!

Yet, the harsh reply he waited for didn't come. Instead, Ganondorf snorted. "After dinner," he growled.

 

* * *

 

They finished their dinner in silence, eating all of the stew. Link was hungry from being on horseback all day and he had to admit: Ganondorf's cooking was excellent. Even on the road he found many things to richen broth, to bake spicy bread in the pan or to make a sweet, strong tea for breakfast.

Despite being well travelled and having quite an experience in the wild himself, Link found he could learn many things from the Gerudo - if he would make an effort.

Lariana was washing their wooden crockery in the river, leaving Ganon and Link to themselves for a bit. To make the first step, the Hylian came over to the other man and sat beside him.

"The last time I opened the gate on your chest, I got scorched in several places. I don't wish to repeat that, and yet you go asking me to do it," the Gerudo said.

"Well.. if that's what it takes to get a grip on the magic, yes. But it's not because I want to see you hurt. I'm just worried. Those nightmares.."

Link stopped, goosebumps crawling over his arms instead.

Silence fell between them. Ganon didn't ask what Link saw in his restless dreams, but as his own were strong, he could imagine.

When Lariana returned, she picked up her lyre. Without further ado, she let her fingers roam over the strings, creating a soft melody. Link took off his tunic and sat down in a way so Ganondorf could study every part of his upper body.

It was not long before he drifted into a light sleep, his head slowly nodding towards his chest. The Gerudo watched the fine lines come to life on Link's body, glowing with unknown power. Except for that ominous empty spot right over the hero's heart.

Like a keyhole. Frowning, the man looked at his palm, the one with the sigil on it. Last time, he just put it onto the blank spot, resulting in a powerful but dangerous outburst of foreign magic.

Upon closer inspection, the runes seemed to have a familiar shape. Strange. After all, this was not the first inspection he did, and yet…

Ganon tilted his head slightly. The longer he stared at the intertwined lines, the more they seemed to fall into place. It was as if they revealed a shape that hadn't been there before.

The longer he stared right through the interwoven lines instead of figuring out their sense, the more they lost their wiggling, meandering form, until they became-

The music stopped. Ganondorf let out a slightly disgruntled sound, but he knew how tired Lariana was. She, too, had nightmares. He had wasted time by studying this pattern once again instead of trying to invoke the magic, and now she was exhausted.

Link mumbled something, but didn't wake up. The lines were still there - but the moment was gone. Ganon nudged the hero, who came awake slowly. With a yawn, he put back on the tunic, adding a blanket around his shoulders against the chill coming from the river.

"So? What happened?" he asked, picking a lonely berry from a small bowl of dried fruit. His eyes were fixed on the Gerudo.

"Nothing. I was contemplating my steps for too long a time, it seems. Lariana got tired, she needs rest."

Link frowned. "You could have used your drawing of the runes for that."

"He could have. But I think looking at the original can have more impact," Lariana chimed in. She wrapped up her lyre and sat down between the two men. Ganondorf laid an arm around her.

"Do not tell me how to do magic, hero. Of the two of us, I am far more qualified to make decisions regarding magic. I was hesitant, because a wrong step could hurt us all. Surely you do not want that to happen."

The Hylian sighed. Of course he didn't want all of them to get hurt. But he felt like it was necessary and urgent to figure out those runes.

"How about we look at the drawing, then? Maybe after having seen the original, the drawing can spark an idea," he proposed.

With a nod, Ganon opened the bag lying in the grass beside him, bringing forward the sheet of paper with the runes drawn on them. Laying it in the middle between them, he stared at the lines again.

"If you look at those lines like that, they are nothing but a riddle. But when you look through them, they begin to .. well, make sense. They form a shape," the Gerudo explained.

Link rested his forearms on his knees, sitting cross-legged while listening. All three of them tried to follow the advice of the man.

They stared.

After a short while, Ganondorf lifted the sheet of paper and held it against the light of the fire.

All of them stared, when suddenly the lines seemed to form a shape without even moving. It was as if the symbol, the shape just rose from the mess of runes, more and more.

And finally, Ganondorf and Link looked at each other.

"It's a Triforce."


End file.
